Star Witness in Fani Willis Hearing Backtracks on Relationship Start
Terrence Bradley, the star witness in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ disqualification hearing, appeared to backtrack in his testimony Tuesday, telling former President Donald Trump’s attorney he had been “speculating” about when Willis’ relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade began.
Key Testimony Turns Speculative
In the disqualification hearing of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Terrence Bradley, a key witness, seemed to backtrack on his previous statement regarding the start of Willis' relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Bradley, who is a former law partner of Wade and acted as a divorce attorney, was ordered by Georgia Judge Scott McAfee to testify on topics that were not protected by attorney-client privilege.
During his testimony, Bradley denied having any specific knowledge of when Willis and Wade started dating and claimed he could not recall any specific dates.
Trump's Argument and a New Twist
Attorneys representing former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case have contended that Willis began dating Wade before hiring him to prosecute Trump's racketeering case.
However, Willis had previously denied being in a relationship with Wade before charges were brought against Trump.
During the hearing, Trump's attorney presented Bradley with a screenshot of a text message where he agreed that the relationship started before Willis hired Wade. However, Bradley then stated that he was "speculating" and acknowledged that Willis and Wade actually met at a conference in 2019, which added a new twist to the unfolding scandal over the alleged conflict of interest.
Background and Legal Challenges
Trump's legal team has been relying on phone records to challenge Willis' claim that her relationship with Wade did not predate his hiring.
These records include AT&T records, which were submitted in an affidavit from a private investigator hired by Trump's team, showing numerous phone calls and text messages between Willis and Wade from January to November 2021.
One of Trump's co-defendants, Michael Roman, filed a suit last month alleging that Willis engaged in a secret relationship with Wade, arguing that it constituted a conflict of interest and calling for her disqualification from the case. Roman and other co-defendants also questioned Wade's qualifications as a prosecutor, citing his lack of experience with felony trials.
