The prosecutor leading the extensive Georgia election interference case against former President Trump and his associates will testify in a disqualification hearing regarding her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing questions about the timeline of her connection with Wade, with defense attorneys claiming that their personal relationship renders the indictment against Trump and others “fatally defective.”
While Willis and Wade contend that their relationship began in 2022 after Wade was hired to investigate Trump, a former longtime friend of Willis, Robin Yeartie, testified that the romance started in October 2019 and continued until she stopped speaking with Willis in 2022 following a work-related fallout. Yeartie contradicted sworn statements by Wade and court filings by Willis.
During the hearing, Yeartie was asked by Ashleigh Merchant, Roman’s attorney, if she had any doubt that the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade was in effect from 2019 until the last time she spoke with Willis, to which Yeartie replied, “No doubt.”
Nathan Wade, when testifying, stated that he met Willis at a judicial conference in 2019, but their bond was rooted in a shared background as jurists of color, not romantic interest. Wade asserted that their “intimate sexual relationship” began in early 2022.
Defense attorneys also questioned whether Wade paid for trips they took together while dating. Wade testified that they split the costs, and Willis paid her share in cash for safety reasons. He clarified that he did not deposit that cash.
The disqualification hearing is a crucial step in determining whether Willis and Wade should remain on the Georgia election interference case. The defense argues that the personal relationship and its potential financial benefits create a conflict of interest that compromises the integrity of the prosecution. The outcome of the hearing could have significant implications for the ongoing legal proceedings against Trump and others involved in the case.
DA Fani Willis is FURIOUS, and I don't blame her. The optics of questioning a grown, professional woman about her love life is absurd and offensive. pic.twitter.com/j4glYM7TZE
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) February 15, 2024
