What We’re Learning About Fulton County DA

The partisan quest to take away Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis from prosecuting the sweeping RICO case in opposition to Donald Trump for allegedly plotting to illegally overturn the 2020 election in Georgia reached a fever pitch on Thursday throughout a listening to in Atlanta.

Within the strategy of Willis being compelled to testify below oath about allegations that she benefited financially from a former romantic relationship with Nathan Wade — whom she finally employed to assist prosecute the case — a number of beforehand unknown issues concerning the Fulton County District Lawyer had been revealed.

These allegations, which had been filed in court docket final month by former Trump marketing campaign official Michael Roman — who’s accused of utilizing faux electors to stop Joe Biden’s presidential election from being licensed — embody an accusation that Willis paid Wade greater than $650,000 in taxpayer cash to be a particular prosecutor within the case regardless of him missing the “related expertise” wanted to prosecute a high-profile RICO case like this one.

The listening to continues on Friday and the choose is anticipated to make his ruling as quickly as subsequent week to find out if Willis and Wade can proceed working of their capacities.

Choose Scott McAfee additionally beforehand prompt his ruling may additionally successfully upend the case and probably get it even dismissed, making this week’s listening to particularly consequential in what’s successfully a profession case for Wade and Willis.

Listed here are a number of new issues we realized about Willis throughout the listening to.

Robin Yeartie. | Supply: Screenshot

Willis’ former ‘greatest good friend’ testifies

Earlier than Willis testified, considered one of her former “greatest” pals seemingly threw her below the bus with testimony that contradicted the earlier dates when Willis and Wade stated their relationship started. Robin Yeartie, who gave the impression to be disgruntled, stated she had “little question” concerning the timeline of when Willis and Wade met at a convention in 2019 in testimony that performed proper into the palms of Roman’s protection attorneys. Yeartie stated she used to work within the Fulton County District Lawyer’s Workplace till an unspecified incident occurred and he or she give up earlier than she was fired.

Willis and Wade beforehand stated below oath that their relationship started in 2022.

Over that interval, together with after Willis chosen Wade to prosecute the RICO case, Wade and Willis took a number of journeys collectively described as holidays that Roman’s criticism argues are tantamount to a monetary battle of curiosity.

Willis testified that Yeartie “betrayed our friendship.”

Fulton County Particular Prosecutor Nathan Wade testifies throughout a listening to within the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump on the Fulton County Courthouse on February 15, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Supply: Pool / Getty

Willis retains lots of money wherever she ‘lays her head’

On the subject of a monetary battle of curiosity, Willis testified that she paid her personal means on each journey she took with Wade and reimbursed Wade in money. Willis stated she paid Wade money for — and generally throughout — journeys to locations like Belize, Aruba, Miami and California.

The subject of money got here up as protection attorneys went on a “fishing expedition” to search out any receipts or documentation of Willis reimbursing Wade — of which there’s none.

“For a lot of a few years, I’ve stored cash in my home,” Willis testified, including that she has adopted her father’s recommendation to at all times hold at the very least six months of wage in money “wherever I lay my head.”

Protection attorneys current their case. | Supply: Pool / Getty

Willis prefers vodka to wine

In a quick second of levity throughout what was in any other case a tense day of testimony, Willis described a visit she and Wade took to northern California.

Underneath aggressive questioning by lawyer Ashleigh Service provider, Willis recounted a wine-tasting tour in Napa Valley by which she and Wade additionally indulged in caviar, champagne and chocolate. However Willis prompt that journey was extra for Wade, who “likes wine,” she stated.

“I don’t actually like wine to be sincere with you,” Willis added. “I like Gray Goose.”

Fulton County Superior Choose Scott McAfee appears to be like on throughout a listening to within the case of State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump on the Fulton County Courthouse on February 15, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. | Supply: Pool / Getty

Willis has no time for ‘lies’

When Willis took the stand, she stated she “ran” from her officer upstairs to the courtroom as a result of she has “been very keen” to reply to the “dishonest” claims being made by protection attorneys.

Willis instructed Service provider that she discovered it to be “extraordinarily offensive” that protection attorneys tried to suggest she and Wade had romantic relations on the primary day they met.

“You’ve been intrusive into folks’s private lives. You’re confused,” Willis instructed Service provider earlier than precisely including later: “You suppose I’m on trial. These individuals are on trial for making an attempt to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, irrespective of how onerous you attempt to put me on trial.”

This criticism has no actual bearing on the RICO case

Whether or not Wade and Willis are disqualified from the RICO case doesn’t imply the deserves of the indictments have been compromised within the least. In reality, it’s fairly the alternative, as Elie Mystal of the Nation eloquently defined in a column from final month:

The entire thing appears to be like terrible, however Willis represents the state of Georgia—she isn’t the state of Georgia. If she and Wade had been kicked off the case or eloped to Fiji or give up to star within the subsequent season of Love Island, the state of Georgia would nonetheless have a case. Keep in mind, it is a case the place a number of folks—together with Sidney Powell, Ken Chesboro, and Jenna Ellis—have already pleaded responsible. Prosecutions go on even after the prosecutors who began them are uncovered to be corrupt people unworthy of the general public belief. If each prison trial stopped as a result of a prosecutor was throwing cash to some a bit on the aspect, we’d should open the jails and free a complete bunch of individuals.

The listening to continues on Friday.

This can be a creating article that will probably be up to date as further data turns into obtainable.

SEE ALSO:

Mike Roman, Trump Co-Defendant Behind Fani Willis Grievance, Struggling To Elevate Cash For Authorized Charges

Fani Willis Allegations Observe MAGA Sample Of Accusing Black Folks With out Any Proof

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