Live updates: Fani Willis to continue testimony in hearing to remove her from Trump case – USA TODAY
ATLANTA – A second day of testimony resumed Friday in the Georgia hearing to determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will be disqualified from the trial of Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants on charges of election interference.
Defense lawyers contend Willis and Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired for the case, should be removed because of their romantic relationship.
Willis and Wade each took the witness stand Thursday to describe their relationship, insisting it had nothing to do with the case against Trump and the others. “These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020,” Willis said, gesturing to the defense table. “I’m not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”
Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee said he wouldn’t make any decisions this week.
Testimony resumes at 9 a.m. Here’s what we know about the case:
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Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee recessed the hearing about whether to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis from the case against former President Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants because a witness was at a doctor’s appointment.
The witness, Terrence Bradley, was a former law partner of prosecutor Nathan Wade who represented Wade in his divorce. Bradley appeared Thursday, but refused to answer questions.
“I have a law license and I don’t want to lose it,” said Bradley, who acknowledged representing Wade starting in 2018.
McAfee ruled Friday that Bradley could refuse to answer questions based on attorney-client privilege.
Defense lawyers contend they can ask Bradley about what he observed about the relationship between Willis and Wade, without discussing legal communications he had with Wade. Defense lawyers are trying to show Willis and Wade became romantic in 2019, before they’ve acknowledged in 2022.
A representative for Bradley said he was at a doctor’s appointment and wasn’t expected at the courtroom until 10:30 a.m.
–Bart Jansen
Trump has spent the morning bashing Willis on social media and claiming the proceedings in Georgia have tainted the case against him.
“It was a FAKE CASE from the start,” Trump said in one post on Truth Social, “now everybody sees it for what it is.”
–David Jackson
Prosecutors decided not to recall Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because they had no other questions for her.
“The state has no further questions for Ms. Willis so no need to recall,” said Anna Cross, a prosecutor on the case.
Willis testified Thursday that she had a relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade, which is why defense lawyers are trying to disqualify her from the case. She and Wade each said the relationship from April 2022 to summer 2023 was no reason for Fulton County Superior Judge Scott Bradley to remove them.
–Bart Jansen
Anna Cross, one of the prosecutors, said she expects to call three or four witnesses whose testimony could take four to five hours.
One witness will be John Floyd, a member of the prosecution team who is an expert on the racketeering statute used against the defendants.
Other witnesses will challenge the testimony of Robin Yeartie, a former longtime friend and work colleague of Willis. Yeartie said the relationship between Willis and Wade began in 2019.
But Willis and Wade each said it started in 2022. Willis said she felt Yeartie betrayed their friendship.
— Bart Jansen
Prosecutors initially sought to block a subpoena for Willis to testify, describing it as usual to call an opposing lawyer to testify. But Willis raced to the courtroom asking to give her side of the story.
Willis described having a romantic relationship with Wade from April 2022 to summer 2023. This contrasted with defense allegations of a relationship that began years earlier, before she hired Wade, and the county paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees, and the two took international trips together.
Willis and Wade said they split travel expenses, with her repaying him in cash. Defense lawyers questioned the lack of documentation for the reimbursement.
Defense lawyers have completed their questioning of Willis, but prosecutors will take their turn Friday morning.
— Bart Jansen
McAfee told defense lawyers he didn’t expect to get to final arguments about the evidence on Friday because of the length of expected testimony.
He said he would play it by ear about when the issue would be resolved.
— Bart Jansen
Ashleigh Merchant, a lawyer representing co-defendant Mike Roman − who has been leading the push to remove Willis − said she expects to call two witnesses Friday.
Another defense lawyer, Craig Gillen, who represents another co-defendant, Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, said he would like to call a witness. But prosecutors have objected.
McAfee said the two sides would debate the matter Friday.
— Bart Jansen