During a hearing to determine if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from former President Donald Trump’s election crimes trial, former Governor Roy Barnes (D-GA) disclosed a terrifying threat while testifying on her behalf.
In the Georgia election crimes case, one of Trump’s eighteen co-defendants filed a challenge to have Willis removed due to a purported conflict of interest, and Willis went on the witness stand on Thursday.
Barnes spoke at the court on Friday morning about having been promised the position that was ultimately awarded to Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor. Willis and Wade had a “romantic” relationship, which Trump and the other defendants hope to take advantage of in order to get her removed from the case.
As Barnes explained why he turned the job down to prosecutor Adam Abbate, he casually revealed a threat that the FBI had relayed to him:
ADA ADAM ABBATE: I want to direct your attention back to 2021, were you approached, by the district attorney of Fulton County, Fani Willis, about being a special prosecutor?
GOV. ROY BARNES: I was, I don’t recall the exact date, but, I know it was sometime in 2021, and, she asked me to come down, and, I met with her and Nathan Wade, and there were several other in the meeting.
She asked me, said they were beginning this investigation, and she asked me if I’d be interested in being special prosecutor.
To which I replied that I had mouths to feed at a law office and, that I could not, I would not do that. And also, I just had a bad, but, well, say bad because it happens from time to time, but I just had the FBI to report, a fellow, a militia trainer to me that said they were concerned, that he was making threats against me.
And because I was, I thought it was because of the flag. But I asked him and he said no, it was because I was “too close to the Jews,” quote unquote.
And, I told D.A. Willis I didn’t — I have lived with bodyguards for four years, and I didn’t like it. And I wasn’t going to live with bodyguards for the rest of my life.
ADA ADAM ABBATE: Ultimately you turned down —
GOV. ROY BARNES: Yes. Yeah, I told her, I said I’m not interested.
Barnes was referring to his successful effort to reduce the presence of the Confederate battle flag on Georgia’s state flag.
