Important disclosures from the hearing of the Trump prosecutor include cash, objections, and trips abroad.

A hearing to address misconduct is currently taking place in a courtroom in Atlanta, where the fate of Fani Willis’ position as Fulton County District Attorney in the case against former President Donald Trump for election interference in Georgia is being decided.

The defense has examined the timeline of the romantic involvement between Ms. Willis and Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired. This fact has not been disputed by either party, but it has been accused of being improper.

The courtroom on Thursday provided in-depth descriptions of Ms Willis and Mr Wade, highlighting their contrasting personalities while testifying. It also shed light on their past and present connection.

During a contentious hearing, witnesses presented contradicting statements regarding the timeline of their romantic involvement. Mr. Wade referred to their relationship as “private but not secret,” while the friendship between Ms. Willis and a former employee of the DA’s office was also brought into question.

These are the main findings from the intense trial:

The focus of this hearing is on the timeframe of the couple’s relationship, which is being closely examined. The defense has hinted that Ms. Willis may have gained financial benefits from the relationship.

According to Nathan Wade’s sworn statement, he did not enter into a romantic relationship with Ms. Willis until the year 2022. He reiterated this statement during his testimony on Thursday and stated that their relationship began in March of that same year.

During her testimony, Ms. Willis stated that their relationship started in “early 2022,” which she later specified as April 2022.

According to these accounts, it appears that Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis began dating in November 2021, shortly after he was hired by her.

Robin Bryant-Yeartie, who testified on Thursday, stated that she thought the couple started dating in November 2019, shortly after meeting at a conference for municipal court judges in October.

As of June 2023, Mr. Wade disclosed that the two are no longer in a romantic relationship, but they still maintain a strong friendship.

When asked about the end of their relationship, Ms. Willis stated that she believes the man in question would say it ended in either June or July. She also mentioned that physical contact had stopped before Mr. Trump and his allies were indicted. In August, they had a difficult conversation, which she considers to be the end of their relationship.

She clarified that the end of their relationship was not related to the indictment.

On Thursday morning, a witness named Robin Bryant-Yeartie testified, who was a known associate of Ms. Willis and also worked at the DA’s office. However, later in the day, Ms. Willis portrayed their relationship in a completely different manner.

Ms Bryant-Yeartie informed the court that she initially encountered Ms Willis during their time in college in 1990.

According to Ms Bryant-Yeartie, her most recent conversation with Willis was in March 2022. They had a strong friendship and eventually became colleagues at the DA’s office.

During her statement, Ms. Willis provided a different perspective on their romantic involvement. She stated that they socialized together while they were both attending college, even though they were enrolled at separate institutions in different states.

In a more recent statement, she expressed, “It has been over a year since I last spoke to her. I no longer consider her a friend… I feel that she has betrayed our friendship.”

According to Ms Bryant-Yeartie, Ms Willis began renting a condominium she owned in April 2021. Ms Bryant-Yeartie also mentioned that Ms Willis assumed the lease after leaving her father’s residence.

Ms Bryant-Yeartie stated that she never resided with her.

Ms. Willis concurred with the schedule, but had a problem with how Ms. Bryant-Yeartie depicted the situation when Ms. Willis leased her condominium. She stated, “That statement is false.”

Ms Willis stated that she decided to relocate to the condominium at the request of her father, who was deeply worried about her safety. He urged her to leave her home due to the numerous threats she had been receiving, as a result of the cases she was reporting on.

During the hearing on Thursday, a surprising disclosure was made regarding Ms. Willis’ habit of paying in cash and repaying Mr. Wade for their joint trips. This revelation appeared to contradict the defence’s line of questioning about Mr. Wade’s financial records.

While Mr. Wade was testifying, the prosecutor was questioned about the charges on his Capital One card, which appeared to indicate that he had financed multiple trips with Ms. Willis to various destinations such as Belize, Aruba, and Tennessee.

Mr. Wade informed the court that he made numerous arrangements for these journeys as a precautionary measure, due to the high-profile nature of the legal proceedings involving Mr. Trump. He also stated that she reimbursed him in cash.

Ms. Willis stated under oath that she provided payment to him in the form of physical currency. She clarified that her father advised her to keep a financial reserve of six months’ worth of cash in her home or any place she resides.

Mr Wade testified that she always reimbursed him: “She’s a very independent, proud woman so she’s going to insist she carries her own weight…She’s going to pay her own way.”

According to Ms. Willis, “I am capable of paying my own expenses.”

According to her testimony, Mr. Wade had once remarked that the only contribution a woman could make to him was to make him a sandwich.

Ms. Willis offered some perspective on their relationship: “There was always tension between us…I don’t rely on him to pay my expenses. The only man who takes care of my financial needs is my father.”

Ms. Willis appeared to be very emotionally charged during the hearing, as evident from the moment she entered the courtroom.

“I am prepared to proceed,” Ms. Willis declared upon her arrival to the courtroom on Thursday. She stated that she hurried to the courtroom upon hearing that Mr. Wade had finished testifying, believing she would be summoned to the stand next.

“I have been eagerly anticipating this conversation with you today,” Ms. Willis informed defence attorney Ashleigh Merchant. “It is absurd that you were dishonest on Monday, yet here we are….I am actually taken aback that the hearing proceeded. But, since it has, here I am.”

Ms. Merchant and Ms. Willis engaged in a heated discussion regarding finances.

Ms Merchant pointed out that Ms Willis may not know the source of the money she used to reimburse Mr Wade for his trips, despite providing a detailed explanation of her personal financial holdings.

Ms. Willis stated that the testimony was being misrepresented. She also mentioned that the funds were earned through hard work and dedication.

Feeling exasperated by Ms. Merchant’s inquiries, Ms. Willis declared, “I am not the one being accused. These individuals are being accused of attempting to manipulate the election. I will not be put on trial, no matter how much you push.”

Numerous personal information was disclosed during the hearing.

Ms. Willis expressed that she was greatly offended by the lawyer’s insinuation that she had slept with Mr. Wade on their first encounter.

The timeline of the couple’s relationship was heavily scrutinized.

When asked about the start of their relationship, Mr. Wade revealed that he was dealing with cancer in 2020 and spent most of his time indoors in a clean, isolated environment due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Therefore, he stated that he was not actively dating because his health was his main concern at the time.

The defense team claimed that Mr. Wade was dishonest in his responses during his divorce case. Ms. Merchant brought up during the hearing that Mr. Wade had denied having an affair in the divorce proceedings, but later admitted to it in the case involving election interference.

Mr Wade undermined this claim, clarifying, “My marriage was irretrievably broken in 2015,” saying that his wife had had an affair and they stayed together for their children.

“He stated that since his marriage was beyond repair, he was able to pursue a new relationship. He also clarified that he did not have any romantic involvement while still married.”

The two individuals also talked about how they did not make their romantic relationship public, which dispelled some speculations. Their statements emphasized that this choice was not due to secrecy, but rather a personal preference.

Mr Wade stated, “We value our privacy. Our relationship was never meant to be kept secret, just kept private.”

Ms Bryant-Yeartie stated in court that she had witnessed the couple engaging in physical displays of affection, despite being contradictory to her previous statements.

During her testimony, Ms. Willis also stated that she did not disclose their romantic relationship to anyone else in the DA’s office.

Source: independent.co.uk