Embattled District Attorney Fani Willis spoke at a Georgia church on Thursday, telling a raucous congregation that she’s “doing well” despite critics trying to “shame” her.
The Fulton County district attorney is at the center of a massive lawsuit accusing former President Trump and 18 co-defendants of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump was indicted by Willis in August. Earlier this year, the co-defendants accused Willis of having an “inappropriate” relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom he hired to help prosecute the case.
Trump and several other defendants are seeking to disbar Willis in the Georgia Court of Appeals for conflicts of interest. Willis is also under investigation by two state legislative committees and federal lawmakers.
Addressing his congregation in the 6th Episcopal District at the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) of Georgia’s annual planning conference, Rev. Wills said he was “doing well” despite the “attacks” against him.
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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis arrives to speak after winning the 2024 Democratic primary in Buckhead, Georgia, on May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryn Anderson)
“Black women in America are the least protected people in our society,” she said. “I don’t want to think about what the critics are going to say,” Willis said.
“I’m too busy celebrating our greatness, our beauty, our success, our wisdom and most of all, our hearts to be bothered by anybody’s attacks. See, that’s why they’re angry, that’s why they’re letting their mouths run over there, but I don’t pay them any attention over here and I’m thriving.”
“I live the experience of being a black woman who is attacked and hyper-sexualized,” Willis said later, adding that some critics have even mispronounced her name in an attempt to “shame” her.
The Georgia Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments on October 4 by the Trump campaign that Willis should be disqualified because he benefited financially from the roughly $600,000 he received as special counsel through vacations he and Wade spent together.
both Wade and Willis deny it The two had been romantically involved before Wade was hired and split the cost of trips together, with Willis saying she paid Wade her share of the trip cost in cash.
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Former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade arrives before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after her victory in the 2024 Democratic primary in Buckhead, Georgia, on May 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bryn Anderson)
Willis and Wade maintained that their relationship began after Wade was hired in 2022. But their claims are contradicted by testimony from Robin Yearty, a former “good friend” of Willis and a former staffer in the district attorney’s office.
Yearty said there was “no doubt” Willis and Wade’s relationship began in 2019 when the pair met at a conference.
Nathan Wade, in an interview with CNN Wednesday night, said the only regret he has about his relationship with the district attorney is “the timing.”
Wade’s interview was bizarrely interrupted by CNN anchor Caitlin Collins asking, “Just to be sure, when did your relationship begin?”
“Yeah, so we’ve had a movement to say… these exact dates are in question, and these exact dates are in question,” Wade said, rolling his eyes to the side.
“We’ve got a signal,” Wade told Collins, looking at the others in the room.
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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during a hearing in the case of State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump, March 1, 2024, at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. (Alex Slits Pool/Getty Images)
With the cameras still rolling, Wade took off his microphone and went to a corner to speak privately with a consultant before returning to his seat a moment later.
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When Collins re-asked her question about the timeline of Wade and Willis’ affair, his answer changed dramatically.
“I think the public is very clear through the testimony and other interviews that this is clearly just an act of obstruction. I think that’s an issue that’s not relevant to this case and we should be more focused on the facts that are in the indictment,” Wade said.
Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
