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A Georgia district attorney was in a relationship with a
prosecutor before she hired him to investigate Donald Trump, a
witness has claimed.

The damning testimony by a “good friend” of district attorney
Fani Willis threatens to derail her case against the Republican
presidential frontrunner, amid claims of a conflict of interest
stemming from her romantic involvement with lawyer Nathan Wade.

Ms Willis, Fulton County’s district attorney, hired Mr Wade to
lead an investigation into whether the former president and 18
co-defendants broke the law as they allegedly attempted to
overturn his 2020 presidential loss.

The former couple maintained in court documents and during their
separate testimonies that their “clandestine” relationship began
after Mr Wade was engaged on the case in November 2021 for a sum
of up to $650,000 (£517,000).

However, Robin Bryant-Yeartie, describing herself as a friend of
Ms Willis of 30 years, told a hearing on Thursday that she was
in “no doubt” the relationship began soon after they met at a
conference in October 2019.

The timing is significant because defence lawyers claim Ms
Willis paid Mr Wade large sums for his work and then benefited
personally when he bought holidays for the two of them, creating
a conflict of interest.

Ms Bryant-Yeartie, who met Ms Willis at college, said she had
seen the pair hugging, kissing and showing “affection” before
November 2021. The district attorney spoke to her about the
relationship as early as 2020, she added.

She said she had not spoken to Ms Willis since she left her
employment at the district attorney’s office in March 2022.

Visibly frustrated, Ms Willis took the stand and contradicting
the earlier timeline, told the court she and Mr Wade started
dating in early 2022.

She said it was “extremely offensive” to imply she had slept
with her colleague the first day she met him at a conference in
2019.

Ms Willis also recalled going on several holidays with Mr Wade
in 2022, including a cruise with his mother in October.

She said while Mr Wade may have booked their travel arrangements
through his travel agent, she would have paid him back.

Earlier in the hearing, Mr Wade said he had had sex with Ms
Willis during his separation from his estranged wife.

If Ms Willis is removed from the case, it would be a huge
development in what is seen as one of the most potentially
damaging of the four criminal cases against Mr Trump.

He was recorded in the final days of his administration
allegedly asking a top Georgia to “find” the 11,000 votes he
needed to win the state, which turned blue in the 2020 election.

Mr Trump, who appeared to have followed the hearing on the US
broadcaster MSNBC, wrote on social media: “MSNBC just stated
game over for the fake Fani Willis case in Georgia.

“Another scam coordinated with the Biden White House for
purposes of election interference!”

Since the allegations of an inappropriate relationship were
filed in a motion by co-defendant Michael Roman, the former
president has used them to try to cast doubt on the legitimacy
of the case.

Mr Roman has asked Judge McAfee to throw out the indictment and
to prevent the couple, and their offices, from continuing in the
case.

Ms Bryant-Yeartie was the first witness called at the hearing on
Thursday but did not immediately appear on the stand. She later
testified via a video call after the district attorney’s office
unsuccessfully tried to quash the subpoena to call her.

Terrence Bradley, a divorce lawyer for Mr Wade seen as a “star
witness” for the defence, refused to disclose communications
with the prosecutor. citing attorney-client privilege.

Mr Trump has been charged with 13 counts relating to his alleged
bid to overturn the election result in Georgia in 2020,
including racketeering and violating an oath of office.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-investigator-relationship-fani- willis-191208360.html

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