Former President Donald Trump has received positive news from a hearing on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from his election interference case. Judge Scott McAfee presided over the hearing, which aimed to determine if Willis’ alleged romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor she hired in the case, should result in her removal from the case. Attorney Ashleigh Merchant, representing Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, argued that Willis and Wade benefitted financially from taxpayers’ money and should therefore be removed from the case. Willis has denied all allegations of misconduct.
Key moments from the hearing include Trump’s call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, an alleged plot to submit a false slate of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College, and an alleged plot to submit a false slate of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani described the hearing as “damaging for both Willis and Wade, personally and professionally,” adding that Willis’ handling of the allegations has been an “unmitigated disaster.”
Willis’ former friend Robin Bryant-Yeartie testified that the pair began dating shortly after meeting at a conference in late 2019, contradicting their assertion that the relationship began earlier than initially disclosed. Gene Rossi said it would be a “very bad look” for Willis if McAfee finds that the relationship began earlier than initially disclosed.
Wade testified that Willis reimbursed him for trips the pair took together using cash, but Dave Aronberg, the state attorney in Florida’s Palm Beach County, questioned the credibility of Willis’ reimbursements.
