Name: Fulton County DA Willis, Prosecutor Detail Relationship and Expenses in Misconduct Hearing
Uploaded: 2024-02-16T04:29:54.000Z
Description: Special prosecutor Nathan Wade and a witness presented different timelines of Mr. Wade's romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during a Feb. 15 evidentiary hearing on whether she may be disqualified from the high-profile state racketeering case involving former President Donald Trump.

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

Trump ‘Projecting American Influence and Leadership’ on Iran Issue in Beijing: China Expert

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

Senate Panel Advances Crypto Regulation Bill

Jason Blair is a national correspondent for NTD News based in California. 

Jason Blair

Lawmakers Weigh ‘Sanctuary’ Polices After Woman’s Death in Virginia

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Bonta Announces Major Fentanyl Bust in California

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper Praises Trump's Military Actions

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Lawyers in OpenAI Trial Give Closing Arguments

Eva Fu is a New York-based writer for The Epoch Times focusing on U.S. politics, U.S.-China relations, religious freedom, and human rights. Contact Eva at eva.fu@epochtimes.com

Eva Fu

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

China News

Organ Harvesting in China

Congressional Hearing Spotlights Forced Organ Harvesting in China

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Report: Giants WR Nabers Had 2nd Procedure on Knee

Xavier Becerra Leads New California Governor Poll

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade and a witness presented different timelines of Mr. Wade's romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during a Feb. 15 evidentiary hearing on whether she may be disqualified from the high-profile state racketeering case involving former President Donald Trump.

President Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury in August 2023; four of those defendants have taken plea deals. Some of the remaining defendants have now moved to disqualify Ms. Willis.

Ashleigh Merchant, defense attorney for Michael Roman, took the lead in questioning. Attorneys representing the district attorney's office frequently interrupted with objections and made several attempts to renew motions to quash testimonies.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied the motions to quash and allowed several witnesses to testify.

In order for the defendants to succeed in their motion to disqualify, they would need to show that Ms. Willis has a conflict of interest in the case and benefited financially.

They claim the financial benefit stems from her romantic relationship with the lead prosecutor she appointed, Mr. Wade, who spent thousands on "lavish" vacations with her. Mr. Wade claims that she paid her share of expenses and there was no such benefit. He also contradicted the defense's timeline of their relationship.
<h2>Witness Disputes Timeline</h2>
Robin Yeartie, a former longtime personal friend of Ms. Willis's, testified that shortly after Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade met at a conference in 2019, they began a romantic relationship.

She said she had spoken to Ms. Willis regularly during their friendship and had seen Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade together on multiple occasions, in a clear romantic relationship that involved "hugging, kissing."

Ms. Yeartie met Ms. Willis in the early 1990s in college and later worked in the district attorney's office before resigning. She said she had been transferred to another department and didn't like the situation. That led to a fallout with Ms. Willis on a personal basis as well.

"We never spoke after that," Ms. Yeartie said.

Mr. Wade was called to testify too, and he gave explanatory answers, qualifying the timeline and events he was asked about.
<h2>Wade Says Relationship Was Never Secret</h2>
Mr. Wade said that the first time he met Ms. Willis was only a "three-minute" introduction in November 2019. They exchanged contact information at a judicial conference, where Mr. Wade was teaching a class, and spoke two or three times more by phone that year.

“2020 was more frequent than ’19,” he said. “We spoke on the telephone often.”

“She would have questions. I was the district rep,” he said. “She was outside my district, but she felt comfortable calling me, asking me questions. I don’t know if you know the racial makeup of certain benches, but it wasn’t very diverse.”

Ms. Willis campaigned for district attorney in 2020.

Mr. Wade testified that his personal relationship with Ms. Willis began in "early 2022," and he was hired onto the election case in March 2022.

Ms. Merchant noted some gaps in Mr. Wade's testimony. When asked about trips the couple took, he said he remembered trips in 2022 and 2023, but said he couldn't "recall" trips in 2021; he did not dispute the existence of trips before 2022.

Mr. Wade is recently divorced, and Ms. Merchant brought up affidavits he submitted in that case. He had stated that he had "no receipts" for gifts or for dining with partners besides his spouse during the marriage. After Ms. Merchant's Jan. 8 allegations, he changed his answers to assert a privacy privilege.

Mr. Wade clarified that he changed the answers because he didn't want his personal divorce case "bleeding over" into this one.

He confirmed he had "no receipts" and didn't buy Ms. Willis gifts, and then qualified that his marriage was "irretrievably broken" by 2015 when his wife had an affair, years before he met Ms. Willis. He said that they waited until their children were of age and off to college before filing for divorce, not wanting their kids to grow up in a single-parent home.
<h2>Willis Reimbursed Wade in Cash</h2>
On the topic of finances, Mr. Wade said multiple times that he and Ms. Wade split expenses.

"Our travel was split evenly," he said. Statements showing that Mr. Wade spent thousands on travel and accommodations had been submitted in court filings, and Mr. Wade supplied an additional statement showing that Ms. Willis purchased travel for both of them.

He said that when he booked trips, Ms. Willis would reimburse him.

Ms. Merchant asked for a record of these reimbursements.

"It was cash, she didn't give me any checks," Mr. Wade said.

In other cases, Ms. Willis would pay for expenses during the trip, Mr. Wade added.

"The expenses balanced out," Mr. Wade said. "In relationships, ma'am, especially men, you're not keeping a ledger."

"She's a very independent, proud woman," Mr. Wade said. "She's going to insist that she carries her own weight. It was actually a point of contention between the two of us."

He added that the travel was usually booked under his name because she was in a high-profile position and there were security concerns. He testified about day trips they made across state lines for the same reason.

"We would drive there, have lunch, drive back. The reason we would do that is because of the attention," he said. "She can't get any peace of mind locally, so we'd get in my car and drive somewhere off the beaten path, get lunch, and come back."

Ms. Merchant asked him whether he ever discussed this relationship in social settings, such as with Ms. Yeartie. He said he never did.

"We're private people," Mr. Wade said. "Our relationship wasn't a secret, it was just private. I wouldn't have discussed my relationship with Ms. Yeartie or anyone else publicly."
<h2>District Attorney Takes Witness Stand</h2>
Despite objections from an attorney from her office, Ms. Willis testified in the case later on Feb. 15.

She said she had expected to be called after Mr. Wade and was eager to give her testimony. Ms. Willis gave lengthy, explanatory answers, often interrupting attorneys as they asked their questions.

When she spoke of the timeline of her relationship with Mr. Wade, Ms. Willis raised her voice and said Ms. Merchant was "lying" in multiple court filings when she insinuated that she slept with Mr. Wade the first time they met.

She confirmed that she met Mr. Wade in 2019 at a judicial conference, that they exchanged contact information, and that they spoke and met several times in 2020. She said that they developed a professional relationship and she characterized him as a "mentor." That developed into a friendship, and they began dating in early 2022, she said.

Ms. Willis gave unprompted details about her use of cash, explaining that she grew up with her father keeping three safes in the home and telling her that as a woman she should keep six months' pay in cash at home at all times. She said she had a habit of keeping cash at home, or wherever she was staying, but not to that extent. It could be as little as $500 or as much as $9,000, she added.

Ms. Willis said she paid for as many meals as Mr. Wade and made a point of paying him back for large trip expenses, whether by paying for other trips or with a cash reimbursement.

She said she found it ironic that this was now the subject of the hearing because it was something that they argued about—that she maintained that she didn't need a man to pay her bills—and that contributed to the end of their relationship.

If anything, the only "gift" exchanged was a trip Ms. Willis paid for to Belize, she said, meant as a 50th birthday present after his battle with cancer.

"I never thought about the money until y'all brought it up, and I would be less than honest if I said I was giving him the money back because I was the district attorney," Ms. Willis said. "I did not take gifts from him, for a lot of personal reasons."

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-prosecutor-details-relationship-with-willis-as-witness-disputes-timeline-5588070">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

Politics

01_Lead Story

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Management

Catherine Yang is a reporter for The Epoch Times based in New York.

Catherine Yang

02_Second Lead

Donald Trump

President Donald J. Trump

nathan wade

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.