Former Georgia governor and DA’s father testify in Trump case disqualification hearing

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A former governor of Georgia was among those testifying Friday in the Fulton County, Georgia, Superior Court hearing to determine if District Attorney Fani Willis and her special prosecutor should be disqualified from their investigation and subsequent indictment of former President Donald Trump.

On Friday, prosecutors sought to bolster Willis’ testimony that Nathan Wade was not Willis’ first choice to lead the case against Trump.

Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes testified that Willis approached him in 2021 about serving as special prosecutor, but that he turned it down in part because he had “mouths to feed” at his law practice and because he was concerned about potential threats of violence that could come with the job, the Associated Press reported.

Barnes said he does not know why Willis approached him about becoming a special prosecutor in her Trump investigation. He said Willis is a very qualified prosecutor and attorney. He said special prosecutor Wade is a very good organizer.

Fani Willis’ father, John Clifford Floyd III was also called to the stand. He said he is a retired attorney, with 50% of his practice criminal law.

Floyd said he found out his daughter had a romantic relationship with Wade “about seven weeks ago” and “along with everyone else.”

Floyd said he always told his daughter to keep some cash on hand. “I don’t mean to be racist, but it’s a Black thing,” he said.

The Fulton County district attorney’s office opted not to put Willis back on the witness stand Friday, avoiding the spectacle of more testimony about the top prosecutor’s personal life, the Associated Press reported.

On Thursday, Willis herself delivered a fiery, often combative and contentious testimony, as defense attorneys for Trump and others alleged she and special prosecutor Nathan Wade should be disqualified because of their romantic relationship.

Willis is the locally elected district attorney who issued dozens of indictments in August 2023 accusing Trump and his allies of trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

McAfee said Thursday he would not issue a ruling on the issue on Friday but will hear evidence from prosecutors and defense attorneys to determine if Wade benefitted personally and financially from the couple’s arrangement.

In early January, an explosive court filing by Michael Roman, one of Trump’s co-defendants, and his attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, accused Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade of having a romantic relationship.

Roman is a former White House aide who served as the director of Trump’s Election Day operations. Prosecutors allege Roman was involved in efforts to put forth a set of fake electors after the 2020 election, a charge to which Roman has pleaded not guilty.

Roman’s court filing claims Willis and Wade took lavish vacations together and that Wade used part of his salary from the district attorney’s office to travel with Willis. Merchant also claims to have discovered “outside of court filings” that Willis and Wade went on trips together.

Robin Yeartie, who previously worked in the district attorney’s office, testified that she saw Willis and Wade hugging and kissing before he was hired as special prosecutor in November 2021, the Associated Press reported. Wade and Willis both testified that they didn’t start dating until 2022 and that their relationship ended months ago.

During personal and uncomfortable testimony that spanned hours, Wade also admitted to having sex with Willis during his separation from his estranged wife, even though he had claimed in a divorce filing that wasn’t the case.

Wade, who took the stand after the judge refused to quash a subpoena for his testimony, testified that he and Willis traveled together to Belize, Aruba and California and took cruises together, but said Willis paid him back in cash for some travel expenses that he had charged to his credit card.

“She was very emphatic and adamant about this independent, strong woman thing so she demanded that she paid her own way,” Wade said.

Willis’ removal would be a stunning development in the most sprawling of the four criminal cases against Trump.

If Willis were disqualified, a council that supports prosecuting attorneys in Georgia would need to find a new attorney to take over, the Associated Press reported. That successor could either proceed with the charges against Trump and 14 others or drop the case altogether. Even if a new lawyer went forward with the case, it would very likely not go to trial before November, when Trump is expected to be the Republican nominee for president.

Around a dozen people linked to Willis and Wade received subpoenas from defense attorneys, intending to learn more about the romantic relationship the two shared — including when it began and whether they benefited from Wade’s large contract with the district attorney’s office.

Copyright 2024 WANF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.