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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' personal life has been under scrutiny for some time, particularly her controversial relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade. During a court hearing on Thursday, Willis testified, stating that she had not acted improperly and should not be disqualified based on her personal relationships.
According to previous reports by BBC News, Donald Trump and other co-defendants appealed for her disqualification from the case after the alleged relationship came to light. At one point, Willis got quite aggravated and was heard saying,
"It is a lie, it is a lie."
District Attorney Fani Willis has defended herself regarding her personal relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade
The recent controversy regarding DA Fani Willis' relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade took a new turn after Willis defended herself while testifying on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Willis, who had charged Donald Trump and several other co-defendants with conspiring to overturn Trump's loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, faced allegations of taking advantage of her relationship with Wade. In her testimony on Thursday, Willis said that her personal relationship should not be sufficient grounds to disqualify her from the case.
She clarified that her relationship with the prosecutor began several months after he was appointed to the case. According to The Guardian, Michael Roman, an attorney representing a co-defendant, claimed that Fani Willis benefitted from Wade's earnings. However, Willis stated that she had reimbursed Wade in cash for all activities, including vacations. She further said, addressing the lawyers questioning her during the trial,
"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."
She also said, as reported by The Guardian,
"It’s highly offensive when someone lies on you."
Fani Willis and Nathan Wade admitted having a relationship
The hearing to decide whether Willis should be allowed in the Trump case is still ongoing. On Friday, she was expected to face cross-examination by an attorney. Fani Willis' lawyer, however, claimed that she didn't have further questions. CNN reported that while both Wade and Willis admitted to a relationship, they disagreed on any wrongdoing in the Trump matter. It has further been stated that if the Fulton County District Attorney is dismissed from the case, it could take a completely different turn.
Following Thursday's hearing, lawyers couldn't succeed in producing any significant evidence to prove that Willis had any benefits from Wade through the personal relationship that they shared. The Guardian reported a comment on the hearing given by Anthony Michael Kreis, who is a law professor at Georgia State University. According to Kreis,
"I think it was a lot of mud-slinging with too little clarity."
On Thursday, before Fani Willis' testimony, Nathan Wade testified and mentioned that their relationship was not a secret, but was "private."
