A combative Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis denied Thursday that her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired to pursue election interference charges against Donald Trump affected the case.
“I’m not on trial,” Willis testified in federal court during an evidentiary hearing on a motion to disqualify her from the case, as she gestured toward a group of lawyers representing Trump and other defendants. “These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020.”
Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted last August on racketeering charges for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over then-President Trump in Georgia in November 2020.
One of those co-defendants, Michael Roman, filed a motion last month claiming Willis was engaged in a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The motion, which Trump later joined, went on to allege that Willis benefited financially from the relationship through trips she and Wade took financed with Fulton County taxpayer money.
Willis filed a response to Roman’s motion earlier this month, acknowledging the romantic relationship but arguing it does not constitute grounds for disqualifying her from the case.
A key point in contention during Thursday’s daylong hearing was when the relationship started. Robin Yeartie, a former friend of Willis who worked as an executive assistance to the district attorney, testified Thursday that Willis and Wade began dating in 2019 shortly after meeting at a conference.
But under cross-examination, Yeartie revealed that she had a falling out with Willis in March of 2022 that led to Yeartie resigning from the district attorney’s office.
“A situation happened that wasn’t my fault,” Yeartie said. “I was either going to resign or be let go.”
Both Willis and Wade, who also testified on Thursday, said their romantic relationship started much later, in…
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