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Robin Yeartie appears in a Fulton County court hearing via a Zoom call on Feb. 15, 2024 (Law&Crime Network)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade began their romantic relationship several years ago, a witness testified during a hearing late Monday morning.
The revelation-like allegation came by way of testimony from Robin Yeartie, a former employee of the district attorney’s office, who said she was long “best friends” with Willis after the pair met in college.
Yeartie’s explosive testimony was a marked and formal loss for the state — resulting in the court flat-out denying the state’s motion to quash a subpoena for Wade himself to testify in the hearing.
Yeartie was supposed to be first witness called but went second due to a small scheduling snafu.
The testimony provided by the first witness called, Georgia attorney Terrence Bradley, was essentially a procedural nonstarter — with almost every question leveled by defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant objected to on grounds of attorney-client privilege by the state. Often, Bradley’s own attorney echoed those objections.
Bradley’s brief time on the stand was an underwhelming beginning for the hearing. Earlier this week, Bradley was described by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee himself as defendant Michael Roman’s “star witness,” and seemed to be the major connective tissue undergirding a great deal of the defense’s case.
Yeartie, however, soon brought the courtroom to something not entirely unlike a standstill with her own testimony — largely free of objections and, in the end, a great boon for Merchant and Roman.
More Law&Crime coverage: ‘Outrageous misrepresentation’: Last-minute bid to disrupt hearing over Fani Willis and Trump RICO prosecutor’s relationship, claims defense made ‘patently false’ claims
The witness testified that Willis and Wade “met at a conference” sometime in 2019, when they were both municipal court judges. The state initially objected to the way the questions about the conference were being asked but later proffered that the two prosecutors did, in fact, meet at the October 2019 municipal court conference.
The relationship between Willis and Wade became romantic soon after the conference, Yeartie testified.
Merchant followed up and, in no uncertain terms, Yeartie flatly disputed the relationship timeline both Willis and Wade have advanced in court filings.
The defense attorney asked if she knew exactly when the relationship became romantic. Yeartie did not know exactly when their status changed, but said it was possibly in November 2019. She went on to testify that the romantic relationship began shortly after the conference, regardless.
“There’s no doubt in your mind that from 2019 through 2022, Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade were in a romantic relationship?” Merchant asked.
To which Yeartie replied: “No doubt.”
“Did she tell you?” Sadow asked, referring to how Yeartie knew her friend was in a relationship with Wade.
“Yes,” the witness replied.
Then, Sadow asked if Willis and her discussed being in a relationship with Wade in 2020.
“Yes,” Yeartie replied.
Then, Sadow asked if Willis and her discussed being in a relationship with Wade in 2021.
“Yes,” Yeartie replied again.
Sadow asked if Willis and her discussed being in a relationship with Wade “prior to November 2021?”
Again, the witness replied in the affirmative
“Did you also have observations prior to November 2021?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie replied.
Trump’s attorney then asked a series of questions about Yeartie’s observations — framing the inquiry as to the nature of her observations and whether those observations concerned typical romantic behavior. The witness said she did, in fact, witness such romance.
Then, she gave an example: “Hugging, kissing, being affectionate.”
Under cross-examination, the state established that Yeartie resigned from the DA’s office under less than favorable terms. The end of her tenure in Fulton County was also effectively the end of Yeartie’s friendship with Willis, she testified, saying the two have not talked since.
In prior court filings, both Willis and Wade have claimed the personal relationship began in 2022.
