Fani Willis accuses prosecution of ‘lying’ as she takes stand
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There was a dramatic moment in court on Thursday when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis dropped her objection to a subpoena and testified. Judge Scott McAfee had already heard testimony from prosecutor Nathan Ward with whom Ms Willis had a relationship.
Knowledge of the couple’s time together led to the hearing to disqualify them brought by defendants in the sprawling racketeering case concerning Donald Trump’s efforts to interfere with the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Ms Willis repeatedly called out “lies” told by the lawyers for the defendants, noting that it was their clients who were actually “on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020” and not her.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump appeared in court in New York for a pre-trial conference on Thursday morning as part of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s case alleging that he knowingly falsified business records in 2016 in order to conceal “hush money” payments made on his behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels.
After the former president raged at the basis of the trial, Judge Juan Merchan swiftly denied his motion to dismiss the case and set jury selection for 25 March.
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Witnesses contradict one another about timeline of Fani Willis’ relationship
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 22:45
‘That’s lies’: Trump prosecutor Fani Willis scolds ‘highly offensive’ attorney in fiery testimony
The Georgia prosecutor leading a sprawling election interference case against Donald Trump is on the witness stand for a hearing on allegations of misconduct levelled against her by the former president and his co-defendants – questions that could potentially disqualify them from the case.
The attorneys had already admitted to their relationship but firmly rejected the “meritless” and “salacious” allegations as “bad-faith” attempts to see her kicked off a case that Mr Trump has baselessly labelled a conspiracy against him, according to court filings.
Thursday’s hearing is scrutinizing allegations that the former couple financially benefited from Ms Willis hiring Mr Wade to prosecute the former president’s case, which charges Mr Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants as part of a “criminal enterprise” to overturn the state’s election results in 2020.
“I’ve been very anxious to have this conversation with you today,” Ms Willis told defence attorney Ashleigh Merchant. “It’s ridiculous that you lied on Monday and yet here we are. … I’m actually surprised that the hearing continued. But since it did, here I am.”
Alex Woodward15 February 2024 22:30
Direct examination of Willis concludes, with cross-examination by her own team to begin tomorrow morning at 9am.
Defence counsel has two more witnesses after Willis tomorrow.
The DA’s office expects to call three to four witnesses to make their case which could take up to five hours.
After some logistical points, court is done for the day.
Stay tuned for our wrap of Willis’s testimony so far, and other breaking news from Trumpworld.
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 22:17
Georgia election case: Judge McAfee stops line of questioning about Willis speech over MLK weekend
Judge Scott McAfee stopped Trump attorney Steve Sadow from pursuing a line of questioning regarding Fani Willis’s church speech over the Martin Luther King Jr holiday weekend.
Here’s our reporting on that speech:
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 22:03
Attorney Fani Willis speaks from a witness stand in front of Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee during a hearing in the case of State of Georgia v Donald Trump
(Getty Images)
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 21:57
In regards to the ending of their relationship, Willis says that Wade once told her: “The only thing a woman can do for him is make him a sandwich,” she said.
Her previous testimony now appears to try to be cordial after what sounds like a pretty ugly ending.
“There was tension, always, in our relationship,” she said. “I don’t need him to foot my bills. The only man who foot my bills is my daddy.”
“We would have brutal arguments about the fact that he was my equal.”
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 21:45
Sadow asks who at the DA’s office knew of her relationship with Wade. Willis says she is a very private person and does not believe anyone knew at the time.
Wade was hired on 1 November 2021. Willis says the relationship began between February and April 2022.
Sadow asks why she did not inform anyone that she had begun a relationship with her lead prosecutor.
Asked if she had visited Washington, DC with Wade, Willis says never, neither for work or leisure.
They have both been to DC separately during the case.
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 21:35
Watch: Willis reminds court that she is not on trial
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 21:30
Trump attorney Sadow takes over questioning of Willis and asks about why she left her home to stay at Ms Yeartie’s condo for safety reasons.
She confirms it was for safety reasons and reiterates her story about her father not leaving the home because of his fears of Covid-19. Sadow and Willis bicker.
Sadow moves on to ask how often people would come and stay with her at the condo. She says her children may have stayed once and Wade visited and they would go out for dinner.
He makes a big point of there being no witnesses to Willis and Wade being at the condo alone.
Oliver O’Connell15 February 2024 21:28