Fulton County hearing: Trump case hangs in balance as judge mulls DA Willis' disqualification

The defense wants to disqualify DA Fani Willis in Trump's Georgia election case.

Following three days of testimony plus closing arguments, Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's Georgia election interference case, is weighing motions to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, primarily over accusations from Trump co-defendant Michael Roman that she benefited financially from a "personal, romantic relationship" with prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she hired for the case.

Willis and Wade, in a court filing, admitted to the relationship but said it "does not amount to a disqualifying conflict of interest" and that the relationship "has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis."


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Willis testifies early relationship with Wade wasn't romantic

DA Fani Willis was pressed repeatedly by Trump attorney Steve Sadow about whether Willis had a romantic relationship with Wade prior to November 2021.

“I'm asking you whether or not prior to Nov. 1 of 2021, there was a romantic relationship with Mr. Wade?” Sadow asked.

“I didn't consider my relationship with him to be romantic before that," Willis said.

Sadow asked Willis whether Wade visited the condo leased by her friend Robin Yeartie. Willis previously said she took over Yeartie’s lease at one point and paid her rent.

“Would you give us an approximation of how many times Mr. Wade visited you at the condo between the time you moved in and prior to November 2020?” Sadow asked.

“I don't think often, but I don't -- I don't want to speculate,” Willis replied.


Trump attorney questions Willis in tense exchange

Former President Trump's attorney Steven Sadow is now questioning Fani Willis on the stand.

As Sadow stepped up to question her, he started with a veiled dig at the DA.

"I'm going to try to ask you questions that you can actually answer without having to explain, OK?" Sadow said.

"Yes, sir. My comprehension skills are pretty good. So we should do all right," Willis replied.

"We shall soon see," Sadow said.

Sadow began questioning Willis about her condo, which Wade testified earlier that he visited before being hired.

At one point when Sadow raised his voice, Willis said, "You don't have to yell at me."


Judge urges decorum after heated moment

Following a brief recess, the hearing resumed with Judge Scott McAfee urging decorum following the shouting match.

"I advise everyone -- this being a room mostly full of lawyers -- I urge everyone to keep those principles in line and not talk over each other," the judge told the court.

But as Willis' heated testimony continued, the judge threatened to strike Willis's testimony.

"I'm going to have to caution you -- you have to listen to the questions asked, and if this happens again and again, I'm going to have no choice but to strike your testimony," the judge told the DA.


'You lied,' Willis tells defense attorney who filed allegations

DA Fani Willis heatedly told defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant "You lied" just before a shouting match broke out.

"You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial," Willis said forcefully from the stand.

Speaking earlier about prosecutor Nathan Wade, Willis said she and Wade had a "tough conversation" in August after their relationship ended, but that her respect for him has grown "over the seven weeks of these attacks."

That prompted an objection from Trump attorney Steve Sadow.

Willis than answered by saying "You lied" to Merchant, and a shouting match ensued between Sadow, Merchant, Willis and the judge.

The court then went into a brief recess.


Trump co-defendant says witness can dispute timeline testimony

In a court filing Monday, one of Donald Trump's co-defendants proposed new testimony if Judge Scott McAfee were to reopen the evidentiary process in the defendants' effort to disqualify DA Fani Willis, claiming he has a new witness who previously spoke to prosecutor Nathan Wade's former attorney, Terrance Bradley, and will back up claims that he has knowledge to dispute what Willis and Wade say is the timeline of their relationship.

According to the filing from Trump co-defendant David Shafer, Cindi Yeager -- the co-chief deputy district attorney in Cobb County, Georgia -- had "numerous" conversations with Bradley related to Willis and Wade, in which Bradley told her their relationship began before Wade was hired on the election interference case.

"Mr. Wade had definitely begun a romantic relationship with Ms. Willis during the time that Ms. Willis was running for District Attorney in 2019 though 2020," the filing alleged Bradley told Yeager during conversations that occurred between August 2023 and January 2024.

The testimony would allegedly refute what Bradley -- who was supposed to be the defense's "star witness" -- said on the stand at the hearing: that he had "no personal knowledge" of the timing of Willis and Wade's relationship and that he was "speculating" when he said their relationship started around 2019.

The filing also claims Bradley was in Yeager's office in September 2023 when he received a phone call that Yeager "could hear" was Fani Willis allegedly "calling Mr. Bradley in response to an article that was published about how much money Mr. Wade and his law partners had been paid in this case."

"Ms. Yeager heard District Attorney Willis tell Mr. Bradley: "They are coming after us. You don't need to talk to them about anything about us," the filing says.

The filing seeks permission to subpoena Yeager and present her testimony, if the judge were to reopen the evidentiary process.