Fani Willis Says Lawyer 'Lying' During Disqualification Hearing

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis repeatedly accused the lawyer behind the motion to have her disqualified from former President Donald Trump's election interference case of lying about her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Willis took the stand in a hearing on Thursday as a judge hears arguments on whether her romantic relationship with Wade—the lead prosecutor on Trump's case in Georgia—created a conflict of interest. Defense lawyers representing Michael Roman, Trump's co-defendant, claim that Willis and Wade's relationship started earlier than the timeline that the prosecutors have provided to the court.

While facing questions from Roman's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, Willis repeatedly told the defense that she was lying about the details of her relationship with Wade.

"It seems today that a lawyer writes a lie and then it's printed for all of the world to see," Willis said about Merchant from the witness stand.

The Context

Revelations about Willis and Wade's relationship first came to light in a legal filing last month from Roman, a former Trump campaign official. Willis admitted to having a "personal relationship" with Wade last month, but argued that it was not grounds to disqualify either from Trump's case.

Roman's argument, which is being represented by Merchant, is that the prosecutors' relationship began before Wade was hired by Willis to lead Trump's case, dating all the way back to October 2019. Both Willis and Wade maintain that the relationship started after Wade was hired to lead the investigation.

"You're confused. You think I'm on trial," Willis told Merchant while testifying Thursday.
"[The defendants] are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial."

Court reporters who attended Thursday's hearing described Willis' tone through her testimony as "sharp" and frustrated.

Newsweek sent a request for comment to Merchant's law firm via the contact form on the firm's website.

The Views

Thursday's hearing kicked off with testimony from Willis' former friend Robin Bryant-Yeartie, an ex-employee at the district attorney's office, who said that she had "no doubt" that the district attorney began her romance with Wade prior to hiring him for Trump's case.

At the heart of Merchant's disqualification motion is that Willis and Wade benefitted financially from their relationship by using taxpayer money to take trips together. Wade, who took the stand before Willis on Thursday, has been insistent that he and the district attorney split the cost of any travel the two embarked on together. Willis has said that she paid Wade back in cash that was earned from "blood, sweat and tears."

Exchanges between Willis and Merchant remained tense through the questioning, and prompted the presiding judge, Scott McAfee, to remind parties to remain professional throughout the hearing.

"We all know what professionalism looks like," McAfee said, according to reporting from CNN. "We won't talk over each other. And from there, we'll get through this."

What's Next?

The case against Trump, which accuses the former president and 18 of his co-defendants of attempting to overturn President Joe Biden's win in Georgia in 2020, could be caught in limbo if Willis is disqualified from the investigation.

If McAfee removes Willis and her office from the case, it will be passed to another Georgia prosecutor, who can determine to continue the investigation or drop it altogether.

Questions regarding Willis and Wade's relationship also threaten to postpone Trump's racketeering case, which is slated to begin trial in August. The former president, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, has accused Willis of attempting to interfere with his reelection campaign and has repeatedly sought to settle his plethora of legal battles after November 2024.

Update 2/15/24, 4:51 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.