Lawyers Dispute Cellphone Data Allegations in Georgia Election Subversion Case
Lawyers representing the Fulton County district attorney’s office have strongly refuted allegations made by former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants regarding cellphone data that suggests a relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her top prosecutor in the Georgia election subversion case started prior to their testimonies last week. In a court filing on Friday evening, the DA’s office responded to Trump’s lead attorney in the case, stating that the cited phone records “do not prove anything relevant” and should not be considered as evidence in deciding whether Willis should be disqualified.
According to the prosecutors’ filing, the phone records only indicate that Special Prosecutor Wade’s telephone was located within a densely populated area where various establishments are situated. The prosecutors argued that the records do not prove the content of the communications between Wade and Willis or their physical presence at any specific location during the listed times.
The DA’s office also presented evidence to counter the claims that Willis and Wade were in the same place on the mentioned dates. They highlighted instances where both individuals were at work in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and visiting crime scenes related to a mass murder motivated by race and gender bias. The office also questioned the legality of how Trump obtained the cellphone data, suggesting that a search warrant is typically required for such information.
Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, had filed a motion earlier on Friday, alleging that cellphone data obtained by a private investigator revealed several visits made by Wade to the area where Willis lived in late 2021. However, Wade and Willis testified during a hearing last week that their romantic relationship began in early 2022, after Wade was appointed as special prosecutor.
The motion from Sadow included an affidavit from a criminal defense investigator who relied on cell phone information from Wade and cell tower data. The investigator reported over 2000 voice calls and nearly 12,000 interactions between Wade and Willis over an 11-month period in 2021. The investigator also noted that Wade’s phone was in close proximity to the address of a condo where Willis stayed on at least 35 occasions. However, the data does not provide exact locations.
The investigator’s affidavit did not specify the extent of the search area around Willis’ condo but mentioned that data was collected from two cell phone towers within 2,000 and 3,000 feet of the condo. Wade testified that he might have visited the condo prior to November 1, 2021, to discuss a document and mentioned other reasons for being in the area, such as the Porsche experience, nearby airport headquarters, and restaurants.
Willis testified under oath that she was not in a romantic relationship with Wade when she hired him as special prosecutor but stated that they were “very good friends.” She further testified that their “romantic relationship” began sometime between February and April 2022.
Trump and his co-defendants argue that Willis’ prior romantic relationship with Wade, which they claim has ended, poses a conflict of interest and should lead to the removal of her office and the dismissal of the entire case.
The court battle concerning the disqualification of Willis’s office will resume on March 1, giving both parties an opportunity to present their final arguments. Additionally, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied a motion by Wade to block his divorce attorney and former law partner from reviewing potentially privileged communications about Wade and Willis’s relationship.
The developments in this case continue to unfold, and further updates are expected.
