According to a recent filing, Donald Trump’s legal team is requesting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to testify again during her disqualification hearing. The lawyers argue that new evidence has emerged, warranting her testimony.
The Context:
In 2021, Willis hired Nathan Wade as the prosecutor to lead the racketeering case against the former president. However, their personal relationship ended in the summer of 2023, which has sparked controversy. The case involves Trump and 18 co-defendants who are accused of conspiring to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election win in Georgia. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has argued that the case is politically motivated, given his status as the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential election.
In a recent development, Judge Scott McAfee, the presiding judge in the case, conducted a series of hearings to assess whether Willis and her office should be disqualified from the case due to the personal relationship between the district attorney and Wade. Trump and his co-defendants made a strong case for removing Willis’ office from the proceedings, and even called for the dismissal of the entire case, citing a conflict of interest. However, both Willis and Wade have asserted that their relationship only began in spring 2022, after Willis had already hired him, and that neither of them has gained any financial advantages from it.
On Friday, Trump’s lawyers submitted additional documentation to McAfee, urging him to examine fresh evidence, including an affidavit from private investigator Charles Mittelstadt. Mittelstadt analyzed Wade’s cellphone location data, which revealed that Wade had visited Willis’ residence on two occasions in 2021. According to the data, Wade arrived late at night and departed in the early morning hours in both September and November.
What We Know:
In their recent submission on Sunday afternoon, Trump’s lawyers contested Willis’ Friday night filing. They disputed her claim that the records fail to provide any evidence regarding the content of the communications between Special Prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Willis. Additionally, they argued that the records do not establish Special Prosecutor Wade’s presence at specific locations or addresses, nor do they confirm that Special Prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Willis were together at any point during the specified times.
According to Trump’s lawyers, it is important to note that there is no knowledge of what occurred in the house during specific time periods. They clarify that neither Mittelstadt nor President Trump or any other defendant in the case claim to have knowledge of these events.
“They insisted that only two individuals possess the knowledge. These individuals are undoubtedly the ones who should provide testimony, revealing the precise events that transpired during those instances. This way, there will be no room for any objections regarding unfounded speculations, attempts to manipulate the truth, or any questionable interactions with the media.”
Newsweek contacted Trump’s lawyer and Willis’ office by email for comment.
Views:
Longtime journalist and attorney Geraldo Rivera expressed his reaction to the recently presented evidence on Friday, describing it as nothing short of an “earthquake.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rivera stated that the strong evidence presented in the motion to disqualify her office in the Georgia election interference case suggests that their relationship began much earlier than her sworn testimony indicated.
According to Rivera, it is crucial to prevent emotionally distraught clients from testifying under oath to defend their character. Rivera, who has transitioned from being a friend to a critic of Trump, emphasizes that media experts who praised her performance on the witness stand lack proper understanding of the situation.
According to legal analyst Jonathan Turley, it would be prudent for Willis and Wade to “step aside” in the Georgia case involving President Trump. Turley emphasized that their issues are intensifying, suggesting that it would be in their best interest to remove themselves from the situation.
What’s Next?
McAfee is still considering whether to examine the latest evidence. There is another hearing set for March 1, during which both sides will present their final arguments regarding the motion to disqualify Willis and her team.