Fani Willis appears during a Fulton County court hearing on Feb. 15, 2024. (Law&Crime Network)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stormed into a court hearing about her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade late Thursday afternoon, saying she wanted to testify about the affair — in a sharp volte-face from prior court filings.
“We need her in here to go over all of this and to explain exactly what happened,” a defense attorney argued. “We ask the court that the court allow Ms. Willis to be called and interrogated on these matters.”
“And I would too, your honor,” Willis interjected — glaring expectantly back and forth at the judge and the defense attorney.
The state then withdrew its motion to quash the subpoena filed against her and several employees and hires of her office in late January by attorneys representing co-defendant Michael Roman, a former staffer for Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign.
Willis took the stand and quickly demanded three filings previously submitted in the case by Marietta-based attorney Ashleigh Merchant. After a short break, Willis was sworn in and quickly went on offense.
“It’s ridiculous to me that you lied on Monday and here we still are,” the district attorney told Roman’s lead counsel — combative remarks that immediately set the tone for the ensuing back-and-forth.
Merchant asked a series of questions about whether Willis and Wade ever discussed the allegations in Roman’s motion to disqualify the prosecutorial pair. Willis repeatedly parsed and answered those questions by calling the defense attorney a liar in various ways.
“I am sure I told him what my opinion of it is and past that we had no substantive conversation,” Willis said at one point.
“It’s highly offensive when someone lies on you and it’s highly offensive when they try to implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met..and I take exception to it.” – #FaniWillis testifies. pic.twitter.com/DG5j0uMf7I
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) February 15, 2024
The district attorney went on to give a long answer in response to a question about the circumstances of meeting Wade at a conference for municipal court judges in October 2019 — prompting another defense attorney to object to Willis responding with a “speech.”
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee told the district attorney to try and keep her answers more concise.
“It is highly offensive when someone lies on you,” Willis said. “And it’s highly offensive when they try to implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met with them and I take exception to it.”
When Merchant interjected a short time later to try and reign in the length of the district attorney’s responses, the judge suggested the witness could be led into giving shorter replies if that’s what the defense wanted to do. The state quickly objected to treating Willis as hostile.
McAfee explained that the district attorney would not be treated as hostile — but, instead, as a witness with adverse interests.
To which Willis quipped: “Ms. Merchant’s interests are contrary to democracy, your honor, not to mine.”
Developing …
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