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."
Top headlines:
- Defense says Willis committed 'unforgivable' misconduct
- Hearing concludes, judge says ruling expected within 2 weeks
- Judge presses DA's office: 'Money has changed hands'
- Bradley says he does 'not have the date' when relationship started
- Trump attorney accuses Nathan Wade of perjury
- Willis says she didn't consider relationship romantic before hiring
Willis does not take stand on Day 2 of hearing
After a dramatic and heated Day 1, DA Fani Willis is not taking the stand for Day 2 of the hearing.
The state told the court they have no further questions for the district attorney.
Multiple attorneys for defendants in the case, including Trump's attorney Steve Sadow and Michael Roman's attorney Ashleigh Merchant, are in the courtroom, but Willis is not present.
Judge Scott McAfee said his goal is to finish up the evidentiary hearing today.
Court adjourns, Willis will be back on stand Friday
DA Fani Willis stepped off the stand for the day following more than two hours of highly charged testimony.
The DA is scheduled to be back on the stand tomorrow morning for the hearing's second day.
Judge McAfee reviewed other motions for Day 2, then adjourned the hearing until Friday.
Willis did not respond to questions from ABC News after leaving the courtroom.
Willis questioned by lawyers for other co-defendants
After Trump attorney Steve Sadow wrapped up his questioning of DA Fani Willis, the attorneys for other co-defendants got their chance -- but the judge appeared to grow frustrated as defense attorneys attempted to find new lines of questioning.
Allyn Stockton, representing co-defendant Rudy Giuliani, asked Willis about contracts given to Wade's law partners.
"Did Wade's law partners, Bradley and Campbell, also get contracts with the DA's office?" Stockton asked.
"Yes but only for a short time after I first became DA. Then I let them go when my office was properly staffed," she replied.
Harry MacDougald, representing co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, briefly questioned Willis about her financial disclosure form before the judge told him to sit down.
"I don't believe she answered that question, Your Honor," MacDougald said.
"She answered as to specific individual gifts," Judge McAfee, appearing more frustrated, responded. "And you're not listening to my answer either. So we're done."
Willis says she didn't consider relationship romantic before hiring
Pressed further by Trump attorney Steve Sadow, DA Fani Willis testified regarding prosecutor Nathan Wade that she did "not consider our relationship to have become romantic until 2022."
"I don't consider my relationship to be romantic with him before that," she said of Wade's hiring.
Sadow suggested that Wade and Willis have not been truthful about the timing.
When he asked Willis who she told about the relationship, Sadow suggested her "failure" to notify other members of team suggests that the relationship "was not as its been characterized to the court" and "that it started earlier than what they say."
Willis said her and Wade were friends since at least 2020.
"I want to be clear, because my credibility is being evaluated," she said.
Wade associate invokes attorney-client privilege
Terrance Bradley, a former law partner of Nathan Wade, is declining to answer questions about Fani Willis and Wade's relationship, citing attorney-client privilege.
"I was advised by the bar … I cannot reveal anything that I saw or learned," Bradley said. "I am here because I also have a law license and I'm not trying to lose that."
The judge pushed back, saying, "That's a broader representation of attorney-client privilege than I've ever heard."
The debate has drawn the first comments from Donald Trump's attorney Steve Sadow, who said of Bradley's view of attorney-client privilege, "There is no such case law."
Sadow even suggested Bradley be held in contempt if he continues to refuse to answer questions.