Politics
WATCH: Fani Willis Plays Race Card, Stalls Questions On Use Of Funds
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis claimed she was only being targeted on the basis of race when answering questions on allegations of impropriety in her office’s controversial case against President Donald Trump, impropriety that ultimately led to the case’s outright dismissal.
Willis was subpoenaed by a Georgia State Senate panel to answer questions about the case, including her relationship with Nathan Wade, the former lead prosecutor on the case who was paid roughly $650,000 for his time on the case. The two had a romantic relationship and have been accused of misusing funds to go on luxury vacations, among other things.
Wednesday’s hearing produced multiple heated moments, as Willis frequently shouted at lawmakers and accused them of corruption.
At one point during questioning by Republican state Senator Greg Dolezal about her hiring of Wade, Willis went beyond the scope of the question, prompting the committee to briefly cut her microphone. “Let me tell you why this is such a damn joke,” the DA snapped after her microphone was cut.
When asked about discussions with Wade regarding the Trump case at the time of his hiring, Willis, through her attorney, quipped in response to whether she wished to answer, calling it “a dumbass question.” She further expressed distrust toward Dolezal, saying, “I don’t trust you. I understand you’re trying to run for lieutenant governor right now. Anything you want me to testify to, I’m going to need to see,” while criticizing the committee chair’s absence as “cowardly.”
Willis accused the Republican-led committee of attempting to intimidate her by pointing to alleged harassment she received during the Trump case. “You all have been trying to intimidate me for five years, which is why I have not been able to live in my house for five years, because the N-word has been written on my house, thousands of threats have come to my office,” she said, insinuating that she is being targeted on the basis of race.
“Why don’t you investigate how many times my house has been swatted?” an irate Willis added. “Why don’t you investigate how many times they’ve called me the N-word?”
One of the defendants in Willis’ now defunct case filed to have it dismissed in 2024 over allegations of impropriety between she and Wade. Defendants claimed that Willis financially benefited because Wade was paid substantial fees — over $650,000 — from public funds, part of which allegedly funded luxury trips for the couple, creating a conflict of interest and appearance of impropriety.
Additional accusations included that Willis and Wade misrepresented the timeline of their relationship under oath, further eroding public trust in the prosecution.
When asked about specific instances, Willis often gave long-winded answers that was viewed as “stalling” by some legal analysts, including Phil Holloway, who has extensively covered the case.
In one example, the DA was asked by Dolezal about how her office pays contractors and specifically whether forfeiture funds were used for Wade’s compensation, Willis initially claimed ignorance, stating, “I’m unaware if the answer is yes or no.” After Dolezal presented evidence via a slide showing Wade was paid from such funds, she backtracked slightly, saying her understanding was that he was paid from her professional services fund.
A judge ruled in 2024 that Wade must be dismissed from the case, while Willis was disqualified on a permanent basis this past November. A special prosecutor then took over and dismissed the case outright late last month.
