Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is in the fight of her legal career — this time from the other side of the podium.
On Thursday, the Georgia prosecutor took the stand to defend herself against the disqualification motion filed by several of the defendants in the Donald Trump Georgia election interference case.
Willis’s fiery testimony captured national attention, but her “college friend’s” account of the timeline of Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s relationship was the real shocker.
Robin Yeartie, an associate of Willis’ who also worked at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, testified against her on Thursday. Yeartie claimed that the relationship between Wade and Willis began in 2019, around when the pair first met.
“You have no doubt that their romantic relationship was in effect from 2019 until the last time you spoke with her?” asked a defense attorney.
“No doubt,” Yeartie said.
Yeartie also claimed she saw the couple “hugging” and “kissing” before the pair allege their relationship began.
Why The Timeline Matters
While it might not seem like the timeline is important, it’s actually critical to Willis’ credibility.
Willis has been accused of financially benefiting from her relationship with Wade. The argument from Trump’s defense team has been that she was already in a relationship with Wade before bringing him on as special counsel and that she benefited from the money he received from the contract.
However, Willis and Wade have argued that they only began a relationship once they started working together.
Willis has repeatedly claimed that the relationship began after the pair began working together. If she knowingly lied to the judge in a filing, experts say could certainly lead to her removal, if not worse.
Yeartie’s testimony doesn’t 100 percent confirm that Willis was being dishonest. Yeartie acknowledged that she and Willis had a falling out and was told she could either be fired or resign over her work performance. This led many on social media to speculate that Yeartie was after revenge.
Social Media Reactions
“Robin Yeartie left her job at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in March 2022 over a “situation” in which she was given the option to resign or be fired. She was written up for poor performance and ended her long friendship. #Perjury? #revenge,” tweeted one social media user.
“Robin Yeartie’s testimony against Fani Willis is not the slam dunk Mrs. Merchant thinks it is,” tweeted Maya Contreras.
For her part, Willis was clear that she does not currently consider Yeartie to be a friend. “There’s a saying that no good deed goes unpunished,” said Willis. “And I believe that she betrayed our friendship.”