The Georgia state attorney investigating the election interference case against former President Donald Trump will not testify in a hearing intended to examine whether her romantic relationship with another prosecutor constituted a conflict of interest, her office said.
Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis was expected to testify after strongly criticizing defense attorneys Thursday for prying into her personal life in what she called an attempt to derail the investigation.
This Friday, in Fulton Court, for the second day, testimony is being heard on whether prosecutor Fanny Willis, who has filed charges against former President Donald Trump, for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state of Georgia, should the investigative case in his charge is removed.
The request for her removal from the case follows allegations that Ms. Willis had an intimate relationship with the special prosecutor she appointed to investigate former President Donald Trump.
Former President Trump and several other defendants in the case claim that Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis is in a conflict of interest and should be removed from the case and the charges against them dismissed.
Both Mrs. Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade have admitted that they are in a romantic relationship, but have said that personal matters have no bearing on the investigation.
The first Fulton County District Court hearing in the effort to vacate Ms. Willin's case took place yesterday, where the prosecutor herself testified. She appeared angry and harshly criticized the defense lawyers for interfering in her private life in an attempt to disrupt the investigations.
According to the defendants' lawyers, Ms. Willis' office made large payments to prosecutor Nathan Wade and that she also benefited improperly when the prosecutor paid for them to go on vacation together.
“I don't need anyone to pay my bills,” Ms Willis said in her testimony yesterday.
Her office announced that the prosecutor will not testify at today's hearing.
If Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is hearing the case, decides to remove Mr. Trump's investigation from Prosecutor Willis, then the case would have to be transferred to another prosecutor, and doing so would caused delays.
Prosecutor Willis has included in her indictment against former President Donald Trump, 13 criminal charges, including those for blackmail and pressure on state officials to overturn the result of the 2020 election in his favor.
Former President Trump has declared that he is innocent of these charges and that they were raised as part of efforts to damage his presidential campaign. So far he leads the race to win the Republican nomination to be the presidential candidate.
The case in charge of Mr. Trump in the state of Georgia is one of the 4 criminal lawsuits that the former President is facing.
On March 25, Mr. Trump is expected to face his first criminal trial, in the state of New York, related to allegations that he paid to ensure the silence of two women.
This is the first time in history that a President will be tried criminally.
Mr. Trump had asked for a delay in the trial, but the New York court's decision marks the start of a trial over years of allegations that Mr. Trump tried to cover up extramarital affairs that came to light during his 2016 presidential campaign.