A Georgia judge considering explosive allegations about Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis says an evidentiary hearing will be held Thursday where a judge will weigh claims to disqualify her from the case of a Donald Trump associate.
The lawyer for the Trump associate, accused of participating in the “false electors” scheme in the state, plans to call a series of witnesses who will speak about the accusations of an “inappropriate” relationship between Willis and a lawyer on his team, in a conflagration destined to drag Trump to yet another court.
Among the witnesses the attorney plans to call is the district attorney’s father, who would testify remotely from his home in California on behalf of his daughter amid allegations about her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
On the table will be claims about the nature of the evidence and whether any of it could disqualify Willis from overseeing Trump’s cases now that he has acknowledged a personal “relationship” with the outside member of his team.
“The state has admitted that a relationship existed,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said, referring to the personal relationship Willis acknowledged in a filing between her and Wade.
‘So what remains to be demonstrated is the existence and extent of any financial benefit, if any. Because I believe it is possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could give rise to disqualification. “I believe an evidentiary hearing should be held to establish the record on those core allegations,” he said.
FILE PHOTO: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at a news conference alongside Prosecutor Nathan Wade after a grand jury returned indictments against former President Donald Trump and his allies in their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 state elections, in Atlanta, Georgia. USA August 14, 2023. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage./File Photo
The hearing continued following a surprising court filing last week by the lawyer for Donald Trump associate Michael Roman. That prompted a filing from Willis acknowledging a “personal relationship” with Wade but denying any wrongdoing and saying the relationship began after he joined the team overseeing the complex racketeering investigation.
Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, claims the relationship was inappropriate and undermines charges against her client related to Trump’s effort to overturn the state’s election.
The attorney for Willis’ office said in court Monday that many of Merchant’s claims are inaccurate and criticized what they called a “fishing expedition” of bank records and testimony about Willis, whom Donald Trump regularly attacks as part of a “witch hunt” against them.
Merchant in his presentation purports to have information that could knock down some of Willis’ claims.
Lawyer Ashleigh Merchant wants to call a series of witnesses to support her submission about the details of Willis’ ‘relationship’ with Nathan Wade
Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee weighed potential witnesses’ efforts to quash their testimony.
Monday’s hearing was streamed online
Among those called to testify are Terrance Bradley, Wade’s former law partner, who testify that the personal relationship preceded Wade’s hiring as a special prosecutor in Willis’ office.
Gabe Banks, a former federal prosecutor who has been subpoenaed, responded to questions from Fulton County Superior Court Scott McAfee after Merchant said Bradley had received calls “that he believed were trying to prevent him from testifying.”
Banks acknowledged calling Bradley, but said, “I called him on a personal level because one is my friend and two is my fraternity brother,” he said.
“I was concerned that she would become emotional given her previous relationship with Mr. Wade,” she said.
Merchant wants witnesses to establish that the affair Willis acknowledged began before she hired Wade to serve as a special prosecutor in her office. She also claims that she benefited financially during the lavish vacation the two shared.
“In paragraph 17 of your affidavit, you swore that you met Ms. Willis in October 2019 at a Municipal Court training,” he wrote in response to an affidavit from Wade cited in Willis’ filing.
‘Isn’t it true that at that conference they began something more than just a friendship?’ The merchant asked.
Merchant’s filing says that “witnesses will testify that you cohabited with Ms. Willis at her home in South Fulton until her father moved in with her and then began cohabiting at a friend of hers’ apartment in East Point.”
Anna Cross, who represents the district attorney’s office in the case, said Monday that “of course that’s not true” and said she wanted Willis’ father to participate in Thursday’s hearing remotely from his home. in California. He will participate via zoom for travel reasons.
“I would be surprised if Ms. Merchant could back up that claim,” he said. “There was no cohabitation,” she continued, adding that “Prosecutor Willis and Nathan Wade never lived together.”
“The defense doesn’t present them with facts, the defense doesn’t present them with laws, the defense presents them with gossip,” he said.
Willis’ team also seemed willing to fight arguments that the two romantic partners were using what Merchant called a AirBNB ‘safe house’ in Hapeville, outside Atlanta.
Former federal prosecutor Gabe Banks, who has been subpoenaed to appear Thursday, He spoke at Monday’s hearing about his own “lack of knowledge about any romantic relationship.”
“I think it’s a fishing expedition,” he said.
Merchant said one of his key witnesses received calls trying to “stop him from testifying.”
To further raise the stakes, Trump plans to attend the trial in person, Washington Post reported, just one day after attending a closed-door hearing in Florida related to his classified documents case.