Willis Takes The Stand At Dramatic Disqualification Hearing

Fulton County Superior Court held a hearing Thursday to address whether District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from prosecuting the Donald Trump election interference RICO case.

Over a full day of dramatic testimony, Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade both took the stand, facing questions from lawyers for Trump operative Mike Roman, for Trump himself, and for other defendants in the RICO case. The day concluded with two hours of questions in which Willis mounted a fiery rebuttal to the accusations about her and Wade’s relationship, repeatedly accusing Roman’s lawyer of lying.

Read through our coverage below.

Watch the hearing livestreamed from Judge McAfee's courtroom here.

Background:

• The current imbroglio began after defendant Mike Roman accused Willis of engaging in an improper personal relationship with the outside attorney that her office hired to prosecute the Trump case. Roman played his hand as hard as he could in the filing, accusing the prosecutor — Nathan Wade — of being unqualified to serve, and of reaping improper financial benefits from the case and from Willis.
• It's a sordid series of allegations aimed as much at tarnishing the prosecutors involved as at bringing the case away from its focus — accusations that Trump tried to steal the 2020 election in Georgia. Instead, we're now in an extended discussion of Willis' and Wade's personal lives. That being said, the pair admitted in a filing last week that they were romantically involved, but insisted that it only began after Wade was hired in November 2021 and that it does not mar the case.
• Judge Scott McAfee said on Tuesday that he believes the allegations are serious enough to potentially disqualify Willis, though he excluded any discussion of whether Wade himself is qualified for the job for Thursday's hearing.
• Thursday's hearing will focus on whether Willis benefitted financially from the relationship by charging romantic getaways back to the DA's office, among other accusations. Roman has continued to maintain that the relationship began long before Wade's hiring, and that it "tainted" the case.
• The hearing may extend into Friday.