Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney, may lose her position in the case involving former President Donald Trump and 18 other suspects, who are charged with tampering with Georgia’s 2020 election results.
The reason for her possible removal is her personal relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor she appointed to assist her in the case. The nature and duration of their relationship have been questioned by one of the defendants, who claims that it has tainted the fairness and impartiality of the prosecution.
On Thursday, a live evidentiary hearing was held to determine if Fani Willis should be disqualified from the case. A key witness in the hearing was Robin Yeartie, a former colleague and friend of Willis, who worked with her at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
Yeartie testified that she had witnessed Willis and Wade engaging in romantic behavior, such as hugging and kissing, as early as 2019, contradicting Willis’ claim that their relationship started in 2022. Yeartie also revealed that the two had taken several trips and cruises together to places like Belize, Aruba, and California.
The defendant who had raised the issue of Willis’ alleged affair is Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official who is charged with soliciting election fraud. Roman had argued that Fani Willis and Nathan Wade had a conflict of interest that undermined the credibility and integrity of the investigation and the prosecution.
He has since alleged that Willis had personally profited from the case, by paying Wade more than $650,000 for his services, even though the special prosecutor lacked the skill and qualifications to perform his role.
