Embattled Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis takes the stand to testify against allegations she had an “improper” affair with Special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which could derail her case against former President Donald Trump.
Willis hired Wade in 2021 to help prosecute her sweeping racketeering case against Trump. Trump co-defendant Michael Roman alleged in court filings last month that Willis should be disqualified from the case, claiming that she financially benefited from hiring Wade because of their personal relationship.
Wade took the stand earlier in the hearing. Craig Gillen, attorney for Trump co-defendant David Shafer who also asked the court to disqualify Willis, questioned Wade earlier about Willis’ repayments to him for vacations that were made in cash.
Wade admitted that he did not have deposit slips or receipts to support his claims.
HEARING UNDERWAY ON EVIDENCE AGAINST DA FANI WILLIS IN TRUMP CASE THAT COULD DISQUALIFY HER
Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who has reached a temporary divorce settlement with his estranged wife. (Getty Images)
“You don’t have a single solitary deposit slip to corroborate or support any of your allegations that you were paid by Ms. Willis in cash, do you?” Gillen asked.
“No, sir,” Wade said.
“Not a single solitary one,” Gillen pressed.
“Not a one.”
Ashleigh Merchant, attorney for Roman, also grilled Wade – who was subpoenaed to testify despite attempts from his lawyers to quash – for financial and timing details of his vacations with Willis.
The defense is trying to prove the existence and extent of any financial benefit to Willis from Wade from their relationship, which is the crux of their argument that Willis should be disqualified.
Wade said that he “doesn’t recall” travel with Willis in 2021, the time he was hired by the DA’s office, but does remember traveling with her in 2022 and 2023. He testified that his relationship with Willis started in March 2022, and their trips together began in 2022.
Wade testified that Willis paid him back for her half of their shared trips.
For one of those shared trips to Belize in 2023, Wade testified that Willis paid for the entirety of the trip because it was her birthday present to Wade. Any payments for the trip he put on his credit card, Willis reimbursed him in cash, Wade said.
Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade testifies during a hearing Thursday. ((Photo by Alyssa Poin(Photo by Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images)ter-Pool/Getty Images))
Wade also testified that he was not paid by Fulton County as much as the defense claims. In 2022 specifically, Fulton County paid roughly $300,000 to his law firm. But Wade said he received roughly $100,00 because the payments were dispersed between the three people who worked at the firm, all of whom had contracts with the Fulton County DA’s office for various reasons.
Wade’s testimony contradicts earlier bombshell revelations from a former “good friend” of DA Willis who testified Thursday that she has “no doubt” Willis and Wade had a “romantic” relationship starting in 2019, contradicting Willis’ prior statements to the court.
Robin Yeartie, a former Fulton County DA employee and self-described “good friend” of Willis, said Thursday she has “no doubt” Willis and Wade were in a romantic relationship starting in 2019 to when she and Willis last spoke in 2022.
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS
Ashleigh Merchant, attorney for Michael Roman, listens next to her husband John Merchant, who also represents Roman, during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump on February 12, 2024 at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia. Former US President Donald Trump and 17 others are charged in an indictment that accuses them of illegally conspiring to subvert the will of Georgia voters in the 2020 presidential election. ((Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images))
This contradicts Willis’ claims in court that she and Wade “have been professional associates and friends since 2019,” and “there was no personal relationship” between her and Wade in November 2021 at the time of Wade’s appointment.
“You have no doubt that their romantic relationship was in effect from 2019 until the last time you spoke with her?” Merchant questioned.
“No doubt,” Yeartie said.
Yeartie said that she and Willis met in college, and when she was employed in the district attorney’s office her and Willis were “good friends,” but had not spoken since 2022, after Yeartie resigned from her post.
Yeartie testified that she knew Willis and Wade began their relationship shortly after meeting at a conference in Nov. 2019.
“And when I say personal – romantic,” Merchant probed. “I just want to make sure we don’t get in an argument over what personal and romantic is,” she said.
EMBATTLED DA FANI WILLIS FACES 4TH ACCUSATION TO DISQUALIFY HER FROM THE TRUMP CASE
Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against former President Donald Trump on election interference, is taking heat from all sides. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
“Yes,” Yeartie responded.
Yeartie was asked whether she saw Willis and Wade “interact on a personal level” since she would see Willis at work “every day.”
“And so from everything that you saw, heard, witnessed, is your understanding that they were in a romantic relationship, beginning in 2019?”
Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
When asked by Steve Stadow, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, Yeartie confirmed that she observed Willis and Wade “hugging” and “kissing” and showing “affection” prior to November first of 2021.
Yeartie testified that Willis subleased her condo starting in April 2021, which Wade claimed he visited. He also said he has never been around other members of the DA’s office at her condo.
Judge McAfee said earlier in the week that depending on his findings after hearing the evidence presented from both sides, Willis could be disqualified from the case.
“In studying the law that’s been filed up to this point, I think it’s clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one. And the filing submitted on this issue so far have presented a conflict in the evidence that can’t be resolved as a matter of law,” he said.
McAfee was appointed to the bench by Republican Governor Brian Kemp in 2021.
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“Specifically looking at defendant Roman’s motion, it alleges a personal relationship that resulted in a financial benefit to the district attorney. And that is no longer a matter of complete speculation. The state has admitted a relationship existed. And so, what remains to be proven is the existence and extent of any financial benefit,” the judge said.
“So, because I think it’s possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification, I think an evidentiary hearing must occur to establish the record on those core allegations,” he said.
Fox News’ Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.
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