Former President Trump derisively calls them “lovebirds.”

They are Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis and Nathan Wade, appointed by Willis to lead the prosecution of Trump on election interference charges. and paying him $650,000 over two years to do so.

But the stupidity of the Georgia prosecutors got them involved in accusations of a secret romantic affair, disrupting Trump’s election conspiracy criminal case in the Peach State.

The sudden emergence of the alleged tryst has introduced uncertainty into what legal experts believe is the best-evidenced case against Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Evidence such as Trump’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse Joe Biden’s narrow win and declare Trump the victor. An obvious effort to steal the election. Raffensperger rightly rejected Trump’s request.

While the Willis-Wade affair reportedly violated no disqualifying law, Trump’s lawyers insisted they be removed from the case for ethical reasons. Perceived damage to public confidence in the prosecution also forced the issue.

More threatening, however, is the likelihood the fallout could delay Trump’s trial beyond the November election, giving him a pass if he wins a second, non-consecutive term.

To avoid that from happening, Wade should resign, and Willis, an elected official, remove herself from fronting the case. Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the litigation, can order this remedy. He’s scheduled a Feb. 15 hearing to review the evidence. He must not delay his decision.

Here’s what has been disclosed to date in this seedy matter.

Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, in his separate election conspiracy case, disclosed two weeks ago what he described as an improper relationship between Willis and Wade. He claimed they used county funds controlled by Willis and paid to Wade as wages for his special prosecutor position to finance “vacations across the world.”

Roman wants Willis and Wade removed and his case dismissed. Trump has joined the motion.

Willis hired Wade Nov. 1, 2021, as a special prosecutor to investigate Trump’s meddling in the Georgia election. Wade filed for divorce the next day.

Then last week, Wade’s estranged wife, Joycelyn, filed an amendment to the couple’s Cobb County divorce case showing credit card statements that Wade had purchased airline tickets for himself and Willis to Aruba in November of 2022 and to San Francisco in April of 2023.

A hearing is scheduled next week in the Wade divorce case. His wife’s lawyer has requested Willis be forced to testify.

Willis has said little so far, but described Wade as a “superstar, a great lawyer and a great friend” last weekend in a speech at the historically Black Bethel AME Church in Atlanta. She also said their critics are motivated by racism because both she and Wade are Black.

A bit of background. Trump and 18 of his allies were indicted by a Fulton County Grand Jury in mid-August on conspiracy charges to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. So far, four of the defendants, including three lawyers associated with Trump, have pleaded guilty in exchange for plea deals. The others are scheduled to be tried separately.

Trump’s characterization of Willis and Wade as lovebirds is self-serving. Maya Angelou, the late American poet and author, nailed it when she wrote, “Love recognizes no barriers.” That may be sadly true in the Willis-Wade relationship.

Yet the Georgia case against Trump is too important to the integrity of our election system to perish without a jury’s judgment.

Bill Ketter is the senior vice president of news for CNHI. Reach him at wketter@cnhi.com.