What seemed like a stacked open and shut case for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has evolved into a drama full of illicit love affairs, scandal, and betrayal.
Willis became a household name after she filed charges against former President Donald Trump and his associates in Georgia, alleging their attempt to influence the 2020 presidential election results in the state. The case centers on a 98-page indictment, which levels 41 counts of election fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, and other offenses against Trump and 18 others. And so far, the case was unfolding exactly as she had hoped.
With anti-Trump judge Scott McAfee and an obsessed DA, the case seemed destined to favor Willis. That all changed when Mike Roman, a former Trump campaign official and co-defendant, had a stroke of luck. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, uncovered a romantic relationship between District Attorney Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, a prosecutor hired for the case.
Merchant alleged that Willis benefited financially from Wade’s role in the case. She also said that Willis and Wade had a romantic relationship before she appointed him as the prosecutor and that the relationship was why Willis selected Wade. She also noted that Wade funded several vacations for himself and Willis while they were in a relationship.
Willis has been in full denial mode. She has testified that her relationship with Wade began in early 2022, shortly after he joined the case. Furthermore, she stated that the relationship ended in the summer of 2023.
But Robin Yeartie, a former friend of Willis, has something different to say about the relationship. Yeartie informed the court that Willis and Wade started their relationship in 2019, recalling that she witnessed the couple “hugging, kissing, just affection” during that period.
Robin Yeartie is a former coworker and friend of Willis, but the two experienced a falling out in 2021 when Yeartie quit the district attorney’s office following a dispute over her salary and benefits. Yeartie claimed Willis had promised her a raise and promotion but never followed through. She also accused Willis of nepotism and favoritism in staff management.
During a hearing to assess whether Willis should be removed from the case, Yeartie testified against her former colleague. She alleged that Willis had a conflict of interest due to her romantic involvement with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor on the case. Yeartie asserted that Willis and Wade had been dating since 2019, contradicting their claim that the relationship began in 2022.
Yeartie’s statements were backed up by testimony from Terrence Bradley, another former friend and colleague of Willis. Bradley, who previously served as the divorce attorney for Nathan Wade, testified that Willis and Wade have been dating since 2019, contradicting their claims that their relationship began in 2022 after Wade joined the case.
Yeartie’s and Bradley’s testimonies carry significant weight as they challenge the credibility of Willis and Wade, potentially providing grounds for the defendants to seek disqualification from the prosecution team.
But prosecutors have requested the court to disregard Yeartie’s testimony, alleging that she may be seeking retribution against her former friend.
Ultimately, Merchant hopes to have Willis removed from the case. Depending on the resolution of the conflict of interest charges, there’s a chance that a conservative could take over the prosecution against Trump and his allies. If Willis is disqualified, the entire district attorney’s office of Fulton County could also face disqualification, potentially leading to delays or derailing the case.
If that happens, a special prosecutor appointed by the state would need to initiate the case from the beginning, which will present numerous hurdles. Democrats fear that a new special prosecutor could be someone more sympathetic to Trump.
But it’s unlikely that McAfee, the Fulton County Superior Court judge overseeing both the Trump and conflict of interest cases, will disqualify Willis. Although Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to the bench, all bets are off after he faced backlash from Trump for not overturning Georgia’s election results during his time as Georgia’s inspector general.
It’s evident that Willis lied from the beginning, and her former friends have tanked her thin defense. Her conflict of interest case is circling the drain, but it won’t be enough to stop her. After all, for progressives like Willis, scandal is a way of life. Accountability is not.
