District Attorney Fani Willis was pressured in court Thursday over her relationship with Prosecutor Nathan Wade, prompting an outburst of “Don’t be cute” and “That’s a lie!” —The latter halted the proceedings.
The embattled Fulton County, Georgia, girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend will discuss the timeline of their relationship and their ex-boyfriend during a high-stakes hearing to determine whether it is appropriate to continue prosecuting Donald Trump and others on election fraud charges. The nature was scrutinized.
Willis was questioned several times during intense questioning by attorney Ashley Merchant, who is representing President Trump’s co-defendant Mike Roman, about whether Wade ever had sleepovers at an apartment Willis sublet from a friend. also collided.
“You’re lying! You’re lying!” Willis shouted into the microphone, and Judge Scott McAfee immediately ordered a five-minute recess.
After Willis and Merchant continued to interrupt their conversation after the break, McAfee warned Willis: ”
In another heated exchange, when Merchant asked about splitting the bill with Wade, Willis shot back: Get the answer. ”
Willis testified that her relationship with Wade, whom she hired as special prosecutor in the case, began in 2022 and ended in 2023.
Roman has asked in court papers that Willis be removed from the prosecution, arguing that their relationship pre-dates and is unethical.
Judge Scott McAfee will make his decision after weighing the evidence heard Thursday and Friday.
Mr. Willis, wearing a red dress, appeared unexpectedly at the Fulton County courtroom in Atlanta around 2 p.m., after Mr. Wade’s testimony had finished.
As her lawyer struggled to keep the top prosecutor away from the witness stand, she interjected, saying she wanted to testify.
Willis then said she was looking forward to telling her side of the story.
“I was relaxing in my office,” Willis said, adding that when she heard Wade was done, she ran to the courtroom to make her point.
Willis wasted no time attacking Merchant for lying in court documents and during the hearing regarding the nature of the relationship.
“You lied on Monday, and yet we’re still here,” Willis told Merchant. “Given how dishonest you were in court on Monday, I’m actually surprised the hearing continued. But that’s why I’m here.”
Willis told Merchant that she was “very upset” by the implication that Willis had slept with Wade after they first met at a conference in October 2019.
At the beginning of the case, witness Robin Yearty, a former employee of the DA’s office who claimed to be a longtime friend of Mr. Willis, said there was “no doubt” that Mr. Willis and Mr. Wade were already in a romantic relationship in 2019. There is no room for that.”
She testified that she saw Willis and Wade “kissing” and “hugging” and that they were generally affectionate with each other.
Anna Cross, a prosecutor in Willis’ office, questioned Yearty about the fact that he would have been fired had he not resigned, hinting that Yearty had an ax to grind against Willis.
Willis insisted he was “not a hostile witness,” but continued to exchange intense questions with his defense attorneys over the next three hours.
At one point, when Mr. Merchant asked about the flight records of Mr. Wade and Mr. Willis’s travels, Mr. Willis replied, “You’ve been intruding into people’s private lives.”
“You’re confused. You think I’m on trial,” Willis said furiously. “These people are on trial for trying to steal the 2020 election. No matter how much you try to put me on trial, I won’t.”
Trump, 77, will stand trial along with 14 other defendants on charges of meddling in the 2020 presidential election. A few defendants have already entered into plea deals, but most of the remaining defendants have joined Roman’s motion to remove Willis from the case and dismiss the charges.
Wade and Willis both testified Thursday that they did not become romantically involved until March 2022, and well after Wade was appointed to the Trump investigation.
However, Merchant and Roman are trying to prove that the two lied in court about when they started having trysts. They allege that the secret meetings began before Wade’s appointment, influenced Willis’ decision to move him from special counsel to the prestigious position, and that she benefited financially from Wade’s arrest. She entertained her and even paid for her vacation.
Wade described bank statements showing he paid for tickets for him and Willis to the Bahamas, Aruba, and Napa Valley, Calif., saying the travel expenses were roughly split 50-50 and Willis repaid in cash, which she received. Ta. There is no financial gain from the relationship.
“I never bought Mr. Willis a present,” Wade said.
When Craig Gillian, an attorney representing another defendant, David Schaefer, confronted Wade about the fate of the cash repayments and the lack of documentary evidence, Wade replied, “It probably went to one of my children.” Deaf,” he said.
Willis claimed to have used cash he kept in his home and said he was always out of money, ranging from a few hundred dollars to up to $15,000, wherever he lived.
“Don’t you know where that cash came from?” Merchant asked Willis.
“It came from my sweat and tears,” Willis retorted.
When Merchant tried to ask whether it came from his work as a private attorney or district attorney, Willis said, “What are you talking about?”
A short time later, she accused Merchant of “grossly misunderstanding my testimony.” I am not going to allow my testimony to be misinterpreted. ”
Willis said it was important for her to pay the bills in the relationship to maintain equality, and she never wanted a man to “foot my bills.” .
In fact, she claimed that the catalyst for their breakup was “a heated argument about the fact that I’m your equal.”
Willis insisted that their breakup had “nothing to do with” the Aug. 14 grand jury indictment of Trump.
Willis’ testimony will continue Friday at 9 a.m.
