Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis (D) did not testify during the second day of testimony regarding her alleged romantic relationship with a prosecutor she appointed as part of the prosecution of former President Donald Trump. Willis’ absence came after a busy day of testimony earlier in the week in which Willis denied any wrongdoing.
During the Friday hearing, more information about Willis’ relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade came to light. Willis’ father said that he did not know about the romantic relationship until several weeks ago.
Willis faces potential misconduct punishments for appointing Wade as special prosecutor in the Trump case, especially should the two have been in a relationship at that time.
During Thursday’s testimony, Willis denied a potential conflict of interest. Both she and Wade admitted to being in a relationship.
“Do you think I’m on trial? These people 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,” Willis said.
IRONY ALERT: MSNBC has the daugher of Sen. Bob Menendez – who's been indicted for a influence-peddling scheme and allegedly kept huge wads of cash – anchoring their coverage of Fani Willis, who's in trouble for a romantic relationship and paid him for trips…in wads of cash. pic.twitter.com/TM6RwJOFAr
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 15, 2024
The revelation of the romantic involvement between the two prosecutors drew sharp criticism from the former president. The relationship was revealed by the attorney of a co-defendant with Trump, Michael Roman, who previously served as a White House aide.
Included in the allegations was that Willis paid Wade upwards of $650,000. Wade then paid for expensive vacations with the same money alongside the district attorney. The two traveled to Belize, Aruba and the Napa Valley together, as well as on cruises.
During the Thursday hearing, Judge Scott McAfee called a recess after Willis argued with the opposing attorneys. Willis said that the ongoing motion against her was “dishonest.”
The relationship between the two attorneys allegedly began in 2019, well before she appointed Wade as special prosecutor.
However, Willis claimed that there was “no personal relationship” until after Wade was appointed to the position in November 2021. This included testimony that the two showed affection and kissed prior to the appointment.
