A new witness presented by a Donald Trump co-defendant in Georgia claims he overheard Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis speaking to her ex-lover’s former law partner and gave him what is described as a warning not to talk about what you know
Witness Terrence Bradley was a key witness and key figure during Friday’s court arguments over whether Willis and her ex-boyfriend and special prosecutor Nathan Wade should be disqualified from prosecuting Trump and 18 co-defendants.
He repeatedly testified that he could not remember information when asked about text messages with another attorney about when the relationship between Willis and Wade began.
Now, an attorney for defendant David J. Shafer says in a new filing that Cobb County, Georgia, prosecutor Cindi Lee Yeager had “numerous conversations, in person and otherwise” with Bradley in which they discussed information about Willis and Wade.
Lawyers for Trump’s co-defendants said the explosive text messages showed she lied about when she started dating Wade and accused her of playing the ‘race card’ when she said the allegations against her were politically motivated.
Bradley told Yeager that the two met during a 2019 judicial conference and that Wade “began her romantic relationship” with the future district attorney “at or around that time.”
That would contradict Willis and Wade’s testimony that the relationship did not begin until 2022, after Wade had already come forward to prosecutors, which could be critical in determining whether Judge Scott McAfee finds there was an actual conflict of interest or even the appearance. of one who could get them off the case.
He file It also describes an alleged meeting around September 2023 when Bradley was visiting Yeager in his office and received a phone call.
‘EM. Yeager could hear that the caller was District Attorney Willis. District Attorney Willis was calling Mr. Bradley in response to an article that was published about how much money had been paid to Mr. Wade and his law partners in this case, ‘according to the record.’
‘EM. Yeager heard District Attorney Willis tell Mr. Bradley: “They’re coming after us. “You don’t need to talk to them about anything about us,” according to the document.
The judge has already held evidentiary hearings and closing arguments as he seeks to determine whether to disqualify Willis, so it is unclear whether the information, even if accurate, came too late.
The timing would suggest the alleged conversation occurred before the effort earlier this year to oust Willis amid explosive information about his personal relationship with Wade.
Details about the exact meaning of the alleged “no need to talk to them” statement and how Yeager was in a position to hear it were left unclear from the filing.
Some of the information Bradley may have had was kept out of the trial due to attorney-client privilege issues referred by Judge McAfee. Bradley was Wade’s law partner, but also ended up representing him in a divorce that generated much of the information about the Willis affair.
A new legal filing says Georgia prosecutor Cindi Lee Yeager will testify about her conversations with attorney Terrence Bradley.
The embattled Fulton County district attorney surprised the audience by sitting behind the prosecutor’s table, just a few seats away from her former lover.
Wade was also in court as she watched the Fulton County District Attorney’s attorneys argue that she should not be kicked off the case because of their relationship.
Attorney John Merchant speaks with his wife and co-counsel Ashleigh Merchant during the hearing on the Georgia election interference case.
Potential testimony described in new court filing
Terrence Bradley testified after meeting with the judge behind closed doors about privilege issues.
The filing says Bradley stated that Wade “personally prepared his own divorce complaint” and had Bradley sign it.
“Based on these statements, Ms. Yeager understands that Mr. Bradley did not (begin) representing Mr. Wade until November 2021,” she says, in a statement that could relate to the scope of the privilege.
McAfee said Friday that he would need about two weeks to weigh the arguments and reach a decision. His determination could determine whether another of Trump’s four criminal cases is delayed this election season.
Gillen, in open court Friday, attempted to offer “an oral submission as to who that witness is and what that witness would say” after mentioning to the judge that he had new information.
Judge McAfee responded that it was “the first time I had heard of it.” Gillen asked that the registry be “reopened” so the information could be submitted. The judge postponed it in order to “fairly notify the other party.”
Adam Abbate, the Fulton County attorney defending Willis, said at the time, “I guess we would be opposed” to bringing up the information on Friday.
Bradley testified last week that “I have no knowledge of how it started, or when it started,” when asked about the relationship between Wade and Willis. When confronted about the text messages she exchanged about it, she said she was “speculating.”
Shafer, whose attorney presented the information, is a former Georgia state senator who was indicted for his alleged role in the so-called “fake electors” scheme.
Text messages between Nathan Wade’s divorce lawyer, Terrence Bradley, and the lawyer for a Donald Trump co-defendant showed damning information about Wade’s affair with Fani Willis.
