Fani Willis’ partner offers novel defense: She’s an ‘independent, strong woman’ who pays her own way

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade testified during a Thursday hearing that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was determined to pay her fair share during their outings.

Wade’s testimony took place during a hearing on whether Willis should be disqualified over alleged financial benefits she gained from appointing Wade to work on the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The Merchant Law Firm, which represents Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, sued Willis’ office in January for denying its “right to inspect” certain records under the Georgia Open Records Act, including contracts for attorneys she hired to work on the case.

Wade characterized Willis as someone who refuses to accept handouts and paid accordingly on their “dinner” outings.

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“The expenses sort of balanced out … There was never a time when I would say, ‘hey, I bought dinner. Dinner cost 25 dollars, you need to give me 25 dollars.’ If you’ve ever spent any time with Miss Willis, you understand that she’s a very independent, proud woman, so she’s going to insist that she carries her own weight. It actually was a point of contention between the two of us. She is going to pay her own way,” Wade asserted.

Willis recently admitted to having a personal relationship with Wade but denied any improper financial benefit.

Robin Yeartie, who was Willis’ close friend and previously worked in the district attorney’s office, testified during the hearing that Willis’ relationship with Wade began soon after they met at a conference for municipal court judges in 2019. Yeartie’s testimony contradicts how they represented their relationship in court filings as beginning after Wade’s contract began in 2022.

“There were times when I would pay for dinner. She would pay for dinner. It would balance out,” he added. “She was very emphatic and adamant about this independent, strong woman thing so she … paid her own way.”

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