Fani Willis Takes the Stand, Calls Allegations 'Lies'

Updated with new details. New York wasn't the only site of a significant court hearing related to Donald Trump on Thursday. The other was unfolding in Georgia, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand to testify about her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the prosecutor she hired to lead the election-interference prosecution of Trump. "It's like a woman doesn't have the right to keep her private life private," she said. Willis is fighting a bid by defense attorneys to have her removed from the case. Coverage:

• Willis criticized defense attorneys for bringing up "lies" about her and Wade. "You've been intrusive into people's personal lives," she told Ashleigh Merchant, per the Washington Post. "You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial. No matter how hard you try to put me on trial."
• Wade testified before her, saying that he and Willis did not start dating until March 2022, which would be after Willis hired him for the case, reports Politico. Wade also said Willis reimbursed him for her portions of vacations they took together. "She was very emphatic and adamant about this independent, strong woman thing, so she demanded that she paid her own way," he said, per the AP.

• The two points addressed by Wade speak to the heart of the allegations against Willis: Trump and others accuse her of putting her boyfriend on the case, then reaping financial benefits by having him treat her to vacations. They say this created a conflict of interest that should disqualify Willis and her office from the case, thus potentially killing it, per the New York Times.
• However, the timeline spelled out by Wade was contradicted by a woman who said she was once a close friend of Willis before they had a falling out. Robin Bryant-Yeartie told the court that she was sure Wade and Willis started their relationship much earlier, back in 2019. She said she had witnessed "hugging, kissing, just affection" between them.
• Wade said at one point: "We're private people. Our relationship wasn't a secret. It was just private."

(More election interference indictment stories.)