One of the cases against former President Donald Trump hit a speed bump when the prosecuting team was accused of possible financial misconduct. Today, a hearing was held in Fulton County, Georgia to see whether District Attorney Fani Willis and her lead prosecutor against Trump, Nathan Wade, should be allowed to remain on the case.
After the 2020 election, then President Donald Trump and his allies refused to accept that he lost the state of Georgia. They are accused of violating The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO Act, by knowingly and willingly conspiring to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.
The person who filed this case was Fulton Country District Attorney, Fani Willis. Her job is to investigate and prosecute criminal offenses on behalf of the people in Georgia. But today, Willis took the stand at a hearing to investigate whether there was any misconduct in her office while prosecuting Trump. Specifically, the hearing looked at whether the lead prosecutor, who was also her lover, financially benefited Willis. She took the stand unexpectedly today, and started out combative, as reported by CNN.
Fani Willis: I object to you getting records. You’ve been intrusive into people’s personal lives, you’re confused, 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.
Both Willis and the lead prosecutor Nathan Wade claim that their romantic relationship started in early 2022 after he was hired for the case against Trump.
However, at today’s hearing an ex-friend of Willis, Robin Bryant-Yeartie, testified that they were together before the Trump case began.
During their relationship, the couple went on trips to Belize, Aruba, and Napa Valley. Willis and Wade say she paid him back for the trips, which denies the beneficiary claims. Today Willis said, as reported by CNN:
Willis: I don’t need anything from a man -- a man is not a plan. A man is a companion. And so there was tension always in our relationship, which is why I would give him his money back. I don’t need anybody to foot my bills. The only man who’s ever foot my bills completely is my daddy.
So what does all of this mean for the Trump case? If the court decides that misconduct occurred in the District Attorney’s office, it could disqualify Willis and her team from the case against Trump. It usually takes months to create a new prosecution team. And this delay could harm their goal of prosecuting Trump before the 2024 election. The case will resume tomorrow morning at 9am Eastern Time.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Susan Nyirenda.