Fani Willis was accused in court Friday of concealing the truth and her relationship with Nathan Wade in a desperate effort to save her job as district attorney.
The charges were made in Georgia’s Fulton County Superior Court by lawyers for Donald Trump and his co-defendants, who are fighting to have Willis’ case dismissed on charges of interfering in the 2020 presidential election.
Willis is accused of hiring his ex-girlfriend, Nathan Wade, as a special prosecutor, which the defendants say constitutes a conflict of interest.
“I enjoyed the benefits.”
“She put her boyfriend on the scene, paid him money and then profited from him,” lawyer John Merchant said at the hearing.
Willis and Wade said under oath that their relationship began in 2022 and ended the following year, but lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants claim the relationship began in 2019.
“They are asking us to ignore all evidence that the relationship began in 2019,” attorney Richard Rice said.
What you need to know about District Attorney Fani Willis’ trial
- Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is accused of misusing state and federal funds and having an “inappropriate” relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
- Willis acknowledged that he had a “personal relationship” with Wade, but said they didn’t become romantically involved until 2022 due to the lawsuit against former President Donald Trump.
- Trump co-defendant Michael Roman said Willis hired Wade to work on Trump’s case and paid him $654,000 in 2022.
- Mr. Trump and his co-defendants aim to disqualify Mr. Willis from the case and drop all charges centered on the state’s broad anti-company RICO law.
- The defense presented dozens of pings from Wade’s cell phone, which he left in a condo Willis was renting before 2022. A former friend of Willis’ who owned the condominium said he witnessed the two “hugging” and “kissing.” 2019.
He noted that Wade’s phone records show the two exchanged 2,000 phone calls and nearly 900 text messages in the first 11 months of 2021.
“I don’t think even lovelorn teenagers can communicate that well,” Rice says.
Messages from Wade’s former law partner Terrence Bradley were key evidence as messages he sent seemed to confirm that the relationship began before Wade was appointed prosecutor in 2021. It became.
But in closing arguments, Fulton County District Attorney Adam Abbate said Bradley “was unable to pinpoint exactly when the relationship occurred.”
He also said: “Bradley had a motive to lie after leaving Wade’s law firm over the sexual assault allegations.”
Abate said the Trump camp has not shown “any real conflict” to remove Willis from the case.
One key point in the case is whether Mr. Trump and his co-defendants need to prove an actual conflict of interest, or just the appearance of one.
Mr. Wade attended the entire hearing, but Mr. Willis appeared only just before Mr. Abate made his case, and left as soon as he had finished speaking.
In his rebuttal, Trump’s lawyer Steve Sadow argued, “Who has the strongest motive in this case?” Fanny Willis and Nathan Wade. because . . . What if the relationship started before November 2021? They will be disqualified. . . Who is most at risk from lying? They are. ”
Judge John McAfee said he hoped to issue a ruling within the next two weeks.
