ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia hearing continues to determine if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will be disqualified from the trial of Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants on charges of election interference. Defense lawyers argue that both Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade should be removed due to their romantic relationship. Witness testimony on Friday included Willis’ father describing the death threats that his daughter had received and former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes testifying about turning down the role of special prosecutor in the case.
The defense lawyers accused special prosecutor Nathan Wade of perjury for denying that his relationship with Willis began before he was hired for the case in November 2021. They claim that the relationship began in 2019 and that Willis benefited from it, making them unfit to prosecute the case. However, testimony from Wade’s former law partner and Willis’ father provided conflicting information about when the relationship may have started.
John Floyd, Fani Willis’s father, testified about the threats that led to her relocation and the need for protection at her residence. He described disturbing incidents where individuals hurled racial slurs and threats at her home, prompting the need for continuous police presence and bomb-sniffing dogs.
Former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes also took the stand, revealing that he was approached by Willis for the role of special prosecutor but declined due to personal and professional reasons, including specific threats that deterred him from accepting the job.
The hearing was paused as a crucial witness was at a doctor’s appointment, and defense lawyers aimed to challenge the witness’s refusal to answer questions based on attorney-client privilege. In the meantime, Trump took to social media to discredit the case, while prosecutors prepared to question Willis further.
Despite the extensive testimony, no decision about Willis’s disqualification was expected on Friday. Still, both the prosecution and defense lawyers had additional witnesses lined up to provide further testimony in the ongoing hearing.