WATCH: Fani Willis Melts Down During Brutal Cross-Examination: ‘It’s Highly Offensive!’

During a contentious misconduct hearing on Thursday afternoon, Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney spearheading the case against Donald Trump and his associates for purported election interference in Georgia, faced rigorous cross-examination.

Defense attorneys seized the opportunity to highlight a potential conflict of interest, stemming from a previously undisclosed early romantic relationship between Willis and a key prosecutor in the case, Nathan Wade.

The hearing, which has become a focal point for critics of the prosecution, explored the intricate details of Willis’ personal connections and how they might affect her capacity to lead a case with enormous implications for the 2024 presidential election.

A witness’s testimony suggesting that Willis’ relationship with the prosecutor began sooner than previously admitted has fueled the defense’s argument for her disqualification, a move that could derail the proceedings against Trump.

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“I think in one of your motions you tried to implicate, I slept with him at that conference, which I find to be extremely offensive,” Willis started. “It’s highly offensive when someone lies on you and it’s highly offensive when they try to implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met with them, and I take exception to it.”

The tension in the courtroom was palpable as Willis was advised to limit her responses to the direct questions asked.

In another pivotal moment of the hearing, Willis accused defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant of motives “contrary to democracy.” Merchant, who brought the allegations against Willis and Wade to light last month, has said their relationship poses a conflict of interest.

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When questioned about her anticipation of being the next witness following Nathan Wade’s testimony, Willis’ response was more than straightforward.

“I’ve been very anxious to have this conversation with you today. So I ran to the court.”

Her testimony revealed her perspective on the motions and statements made by opposing counsel, particularly addressing accusations she deemed “dishonest.”

“As you know, Mr. Wade is a Southern gentleman… Me, not so much.”

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Last month’s legal disclosures unearthed a tangled web of personal connections between District Attorney Fani Willis and external prosecutor Nathan Wade, brought to light in a document submitted by Michael Roman, a past operative of the Trump campaign embroiled in the Georgia election controversy. The duo confirmed their liaison in a court document this February.

A once close associate of Willis, Robin Bryant-Yeartie, took the stand Thursday morning, expressing unwavering certainty that the pair’s romantic entanglement predates Wade’s recruitment for the legal case, casting shadows on the timeline prosecutors have laid out.

Attorneys representing Roman and other implicated parties are now pushing to eject the involved prosecutors from the proceedings, anchoring their plea on alleged financial entanglements. They spotlight that since joining the case in 2021, Wade has pocketed upwards of almost $700,000, a portion of which funded leisurely escapes with Willis.

Under scrutiny, Wade faced a barrage of questions regarding his financial dealings on Thursday, as skepticism mounts over his claims of having been reimbursed in cash by Willis for her portion of lavish vacations. Willis maintained that travel expenses were equally split between them, negating any financial conflict and asserting the irrelevance of their relationship to the case and her professional judgment.

Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, were indicted last August on charges including racketeering linked to alleged efforts to overturn the presidential election outcomes across several pivotal states.