Update: A former colleague of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has testified in court, revealing that Willis' connection with special prosecutor Nathan Wade started in 2019, earlier than Wade had previously stated in an affidavit.
Robin Yeartie, who used to work for the DA's office and has not had any contact with Willis since resigning in 2022, confidently stated that she witnessed Willis and Wade engaging in romantic behavior, such as hugging and kissing, during social gatherings. Currently, Wade is testifying in court and has reiterated his previous claim that their relationship began in 2022, specifically in March of that year.
Additionally, Wade mentioned that Willis reimbursed him for travel expenses in cash, and their disagreement over her insistence on paying her own way sometimes caused tension in their relationship.
Wade's testimony also included the statement that his romantic relationship with Willis came to an end during the summer of 2023. When questioned about his claim that Willis reimbursed him in cash, Wade admitted that he had no bank deposit records to support this. The defense counsel scrutinized Wade's invoices for his work with the Fulton County District Attorney's Office and attempted to undermine his assertion that his personal relationship with Willis only began in March 2022. The hearing is currently ongoing.
At approximately 3 p.m. on Thursday, Wade concluded his testimony, and now Willis is taking the stand.
Updated story:
Today, a judge in Georgia will assess whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from prosecuting the case involving former President Donald Trump and 14 others for election interference.
Over half of the remaining co-defendants, who are facing criminal charges for their alleged involvement in efforts to disrupt the 2020 election outcome, including Trump, have accused Willis of having a conflict of interest. They are now urging Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to dismiss the charges against them.
"Considering the potential disqualification resulting from the alleged facts, it is necessary to hold an evidentiary hearing to establish the record regarding these fundamental allegations," stated McAfee on Monday.
The allegations of misconduct were initially raised in January by Michael Roman, a lesser-known operative who worked for the Trump campaign in 2020 and is now facing seven felony charges.
Ashleigh Merchant, Roman's lawyer, is accusing Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade of benefiting financially by funding their vacations with Wade's hourly compensation from the case.
Merchant stated in a filing, "The more money the special prosecutor makes, the more the district attorney benefits financially. These benefits are tangible and personal, but they contradict the district attorney's duty to seek justice. This conflict exists regardless of when their relationship began."
It took Fulton County prosecutors several weeks to formally address these allegations. In a filing on February 2, they acknowledged a personal relationship between the two prosecutors but claimed it started after Willis hired Wade in 2021.
The prosecutors emphasized, "To be clear, District Attorney Willis has never received any direct or indirect financial benefit from her personal relationship with Special Prosecutor Wade."
However, Roman and other defendants have since filed numerous additional motions. Roman's attorney accused the prosecutors of being dishonest about the timeline of Willis and Wade's relationship and vowed to provide evidence in court.
Merchant stated in a reply motion, "Since Willis and Wade were not honest about their relationship initially, there is no reason to believe they are telling the truth now. These last-minute actions are solely aimed at minimizing the consequences."
Steve Sadow, Trump's lawyer in Georgia, also accused Willis of unjustly injecting "racial animus into this case to publicly condemn and criticize the defendants" during a speech at Big Bethel AME Church in January.