Fulton County DA Fani Willis hearing: Lawyers will return for summation at later date | Day 2

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Friday was day 2 of the hearing to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office in connection to the Georgia election interference case based on a motion filed in early January by former president Donald Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman. Willis was expected to be back on the stand Friday morning, but the state decided not to call her back. The following is a live blog of what happened in court on Feb. 16. 

4:24 p.m. | Court has adjourned for the day. It appears that it will be a few weeks before a decision is made on Michael Roman's motion.

4:19 p.m. | The Fulton County attorney informs the judge that she wishes to call the woman Terrence Bradley supposedly assaulted, but the judge says no. Judge McAfee says the court will find a date for everyone to come back for summation – possibly next Friday or the week after that. 

4:15 p.m. | Trump attorney Steve Sadow is asking Austin Dabney about his interactions with Wade and his knowledge of any relationship between Wade and Willis. Dabney says he had little interaction and did not know anything about the relationship. 

4:10 p.m. | Austin Dabney is called to the stand by the state's attorney. Dabney used to work for Nathan Wade and Terrence Bradley as an associate lawyer. The state also asks Dabney about the alleged sexual assault committed by Bradley. 

4 p.m. | Judge McAfee has told Terrence Bradley that he can step down and reiterates he needs to talk to Bradley in private. The judge wants to conclude the hearing for the day, but the state has indicated it has another witness. Ashleigh Merchant says she has no other witnesses. 

3:52 p.m. | The Fulton County attorney questions Terrence Bradley about allegations of sexual assault by an employee against Bradley. Bradley denied the allegations. The attorney said the relevance of her questioning is tied to Bradley's credibility and bias and that he previously lied when he said that the reason he left the firm was subject to attorney-client privilege. McAfee agrees that it raises a concern that Bradley understands what attorney-client privilege means. 

3:45 p.m. | Court is back in session. 

3:33 p.m. | Court is in recess for 5 minutes. Fulton County attorneys said before the break that they plan to cross examine Bradley for approximately 90 minutes. 

3:06 p.m. | Bradley admits that he ended the partnership with Wade over a disagreement related to Wade's divorce. 

2:58 p.m. | Sadow is now asking Bradley if he has met with the district attorney's office about his testimony in this hearing or if his attorneys have met with the district attorney's office. Bradley responds no to both. 

2:29 p.m. | Trump's attorney, Steve Sadow, is questioning Terrence Bradley. He starts out by pressing Bradley for the exact date when he began acting as Wade's attorney. Sadow follows that up by asking if Bradley ever socialized with Willis and Wade. 

2:05 p.m. | Bradley is being questioned if Wade used his credit card for any reason while they were partners.

2 p.m. | Judge McAfee says he wants to talk to Bradley and his attorneys in chambers later about any communication he had with Wade about the relationship between Willis and Wade.  However, McAfee said he finds no crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege in this instance. 

1:37 p.m. | Bradley says he has "no personal knowledge" of the relationship between Willis and Wade. 

1:25 p.m. | Arguments continue about whether anything that Bradley knows about the relationship between Willis and Wade is protected by attorney-client privilege. 

1:66 p.m. | Trump's attorney Steve Sadow expresses frustration with repeated attempts by the district attorney's office to block Ashleigh Merchant from questioning Bradley. 

1:05 p.m. | Court is back in session. Terrence Bradley, Nathan Wade's former law partner, is now on the stand. Bradley was the first witness in the hearing. However, he said on Thursday he did not want to testify because of attorney-client privilege. His testimony was delayed until it could be determined if it is covered. Roman's attorney claimed in their motion that Bradley could confirm that the relationship between the district attorney and Nathan Wade began far earlier than they have admitted.

12:07 p.m. | Terrence Bradly still has not appeared in court. Bradley's lawyer says he will not be able to testify about Wade's relationship with Willis because of attorney-client privilege. Judge McAfee pushes back and says there are still some boxes that need to be checked before determining if that applies. Court is recessed until 1 p.m.

11:59 a.m. | John Floyd III is dismissed from the stand.

11:58 a.m. | When asked if it was common for his daughter to confide in him about her love life, Floyd laughed and replied "No, and I wouldn't have confided in her when I had one."

11:57 a.m. | The topic of the amount of cash that Willis kept in her home has come up again. Floyd tells the court, "I don't mean to be racist, but it's a Black thing. Most Black folks, they hide cash or keep cash." Floyd goes on to explain how he taught Willis from the time she was a child to always have money available. 

11:53 a.m. | When asked if he knew about the trips Willis reportedly took with Wade, Floyd says he knew she was out of town, but did not know who she was with and may or may not have known where she was going. 

11:49 a.m. | When asked if Willis kept her relationship with Wade a secret, Floyd answers "correct." 

11:44 a.m. | Floyd is asked when Willis left the house they shared. Floyd said the house became "uninhabitable" in December 2020. Willis apparently moved out around the end of February or beginning of March in 2021. When asked if he knew where she moved, Floyd said he did not want to know in case someone stuck a gun to his head and demanded to know her whereabouts. Floyd says he has only seen his daughter 13 times since she moved out because of the "nightmare" threats against her and himself. 

11:41 a.m. | Floyd says that Willis never mentioned Wade before he met him in 2023. Floyd says that Wade recalls meeting him at his daughter's swearing-in ceremony, but Floyd does not remember that. 

11:31 a.m. | Floyd is now testifying about Willis' former boyfriend, who he met while living with Willis in 2019. When asked about Wade, Floyd said he did not meet him until 2023. When asked if he ever met Wade during 2020 or 2021, Floyd replied "absolutely not" both times. 

11:28 a.m. | Willis' father, John Floyd, is talking about his concerns for the safety of his daughter. He moved in with Willis in 2019 and stayed with her until she was forced to move because of threats, according to Floyd. 

11:21 a.m. | Retired lawyer John Floyd III, father of Fulton County DA Fani Willis, has been called to the stand. Willis mentioned her "daddy" several times during Thursday's testimony.

11:18 a.m. | Judge McAfee is asking about the absence of Terrene Bradley, who is still not in court. His lawyer asked if he could appear by ZOOM, but the state objected. Judge McAfee then said he didn't understand why Bradley was not there because he was sure that it was explained that the hearing would last 2 days and Bradly could be considered in violation of the subpoena. Bradley's attorney is trying to determine when he will be there. 

11:13 a.m. | Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes leaves the stand. 

11:07 a.m. | When asked if the former governor knew why Willis approached him to be special prosecutor, Barnes said he did not. Barnes speculated it was because of his experience and explained that he had faced Willis in court at least once. He also said Willis was very qualified. When asked if Willis brought up Nathan Wade's name as special prosecutor, Barnes said he didn't recall that happening. Barnes called Wade a very good organizer. 

10:59 a.m. | Barnes explains he had been approached by the FBI about threats made related to a previous case he was involved in and he declined because he didn't want to live with bodyguards for the rest of his life. Barnes also said Wade was at the meeting he had with Wade and said he knows Wade very well.

10:57 a.m. | Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes is testifying about being asked by Fulton County District Attorney Willis on Oct. 26, 2021, to serve as the special prosecutor in the election interference case in 2021. Barnes says he declined. Barnes was governor from 1999 to 2003. Barnes served in the Cobb County District Attorney's Office before being elected to state senate. 

10:54 a.m. | Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens just entered the courtroom. 

10:51 a.m. | Court is back in session. It appears Terrence Bradley still has not arrived. Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes is being called by the state. 

10:14 a.m. | Court is still in recess. 

9:14 a.m. | The court is in recess until Merchant and defense lawyers have a chance to look into questions. Court is also waiting on the arrival of lawyer Terrence Bradley, who apparently had a doctor's appointment this morning. 

Bradley is Nathan Wade's former law partner. According to the motion filed by Michael Roman, Bradley has knowledge of when the relationship began between Fani Willis and Wade. On Thursday, Bradley indicated he did not want to testify because he was concerned about violating attorney-client privilege. He previously represented Wade in his divorce. 

9:07 a.m. | The state's attorney, Anna Cross, announces they have no more questions for District Attorney Willis. This means that her testimony is done. Judge McAfee asks attorney Ashleigh Merchant if she is ready to call more witnesses.

RELATED: DA Willis vs. Trump’s defense: Who is attorney Ashleigh Merchant?

9:02 a.m. | The hearing has resumed. Some of today's attendees include co-defendants David Shafer and Trevian Kutti. Former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones are also in attendance. 

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will make her way back to the stand on Friday to testify about her romantic relationship with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade and possible financial benefit from prosecuting the Georgia election interference case.

Defense attorneys claim that relationship gave Willis a financial incentive to go after former President Trump and other defendants in the Georgia election interference case.

Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy

One of Trump's co-defendants, Michael Roman, filed a motion in January to have Willis, Wade and the Fulton County District Attorney's Office disqualified because of the romantic relationship and financial benefit of prosecuting the case for Willis.

Willis is fighting back against the push to get her disqualified from the case. Things got testy at times between the district attorney and defense lawyers on Thursday.

THURSDAY'S STORY: DA Willis vs. Trump’s defense: Nathan Wade’s relationship topic of fiery testimony during hearing 

On Friday, Willis will be questioned by attorneys with Fulton County.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said on Thursday that he would not issue a ruling on Michael Roman's motion to disqualify the district attorney and her office on Friday. 

 

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