Star Witness Backtracks in Trump’s Attorney Disqualification Hearing
In a surprising turn of events, the star witness, Terrence Bradley, appeared to backtrack during his testimony in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ disqualification hearing. Bradley, who is Nathan Wade’s former law partner and divorce attorney, had been ordered by Georgia Judge Scott McAfee to resume his testimony on certain topics not covered by attorney-client privilege.
During one hour of his testimony, Bradley claimed that he did not recall any specific dates regarding when Willis and Wade started dating. This piece of information is crucial as attorneys for former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case have argued that Willis began dating Wade before hiring him to prosecute the racketeering case against Trump. However, Willis had vehemently denied dating Wade prior to the charges being brought in the case.
Trump’s attorney, Steven Sadow, presented Bradley with a screenshot of a text message from Ashleigh Merchant, an attorney for one of Trump’s co-defendants in the RICO case. In the text, Merchant asked Bradley if he believed the relationship between Willis and Wade began before Willis hired Wade, to which Bradley replied with a resolute “absolutely.”
However, when confronted with the screenshot during his testimony, Bradley changed his stance and admitted that he was “speculating.” He further acknowledged that he knew Wade and Willis had met at a conference in 2019, which throws a curveball into the escalating scandal surrounding the alleged conflict of interest between Willis and Wade.
The background of this disqualification hearing is rooted in Trump’s legal team’s reliance on phone records. They have used these records to challenge Willis’ claim that her relationship with Wade did not predate his hiring. The phone records, including AT&T records presented in an affidavit from a private investigator hired by Trump’s team, revealed over 2,000 phone calls and nearly 12,000 text messages exchanged between Willis and Wade between January and November 2021. It is important to note that Willis hired Wade in 2022.
One of Trump’s co-defendants, Michael Roman, filed a suit last month alleging an improper and clandestine personal relationship between Willis and Wade. Roman argued that this relationship constitutes a conflict of interest and called for Willis’ removal from the case. He also claimed that Wade lacks the necessary qualifications to prosecute the case, stating that he has never handled a felony trial before. While Wade had not previously worked on racketeering cases, he had focused on low-level criminal cases.
Willis has admitted to her relationship with Wade in a court filing and during her testimony earlier this month. However, she firmly denied that their relationship began before she hired him. Willis criticized the prosecutors during her testimony, stating that Merchant’s interests are contrary to democracy. She found it highly offensive when someone tries to implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met them. Willis has consistently maintained that she should not be disqualified from the case.
The unfolding scandal surrounding Willis’ alleged conflict of interest and the disqualification hearing has drawn significant attention. Trump’s co-defendants have joined Roman in pushing for Willis’ removal from the case. Meanwhile, the media has been closely following the story, examining the potential impact of an alleged romantic relationship on Trump’s criminal trial.
For more information on the Fani Willis scandal and Nathan Wade’s role in the debacle, check out Forbes’ articles: “Fani Willis Scandal: How An Alleged Romantic Relationship With A Prosecutor Could Upend Trump’s Criminal Trial” and “Who Is Nathan Wade? Trump Prosecutor At Center Of Fani Willis Debacle.”
