Half 3 | Fani Willis takes stand in hearing on motions to disqualify her from Trump case

Madam district attorney I'm alen stocks and I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting it's a pleasure to meet you sir um Madam da you described these various trips and U Mr seal asked you about going to Washington did you and Mr Wade go to New York I've gone to New York um I've gone to New York twice um since.

I've been district attorney I'm trying to think if it's two or three times I went to do a domestic violence thing there for sure and I was honored and I went to the Apollo there those are the only two trips that come to mind I went he was not with me you also said that he was a world traveler and been on many of the.

Continents been to six have you been on any of those continents with him um besides this one uh where's bise what continent is that I'm not being funny I don't know let's say with the ex B with him I've been to the the Bahamas with him I've been with fubba with him don't embarrass me I'm not sure what continents those are on whatever.

Continents those are that's where I've been I'm sure if I gave it some thought I would tell you but whatever continents those are that I've been to those locations sir but not Australia or any other continents I don't even want to go to Australia I do know he took a trip in December to Australia I have no idea you know I don't know anything about.

That when Mr began working with your office yes he had two other gentlemen that worked in his firm with him is that correct yes he uh Terrence Bradley worked for him and Chris Campbell worked not for him they worked with each other did you understand what their partnership Arrangement was I no did he ever make you aware of how fees were.

Divided or anything no now since you have been district attorney the two gentlemen that worked with Mr Wade and his firm they also had contracts with your office is that correct I probably had we well I don't know if we've covered this to Miss Willis but I still don't know what the relevance would be.

Of her testimony to this but I've had about 10 oh I'm sorry do you want me to answer let figure this out judge respectfully I think based on Mr Wade's testimony he had an interest in those contracts sure and then but how's that been imputed to Miss Willis I I don't know if whether or not she knew she was giving him that benefit that's what I.

Was trying to explore okay uh well we can start with that question and then if she doesn't know about it then the ins and outs of all the contracts wouldn't be quite as relevant goes to lay a foundation for that though I need go ahead the the two gentlemen that were in Mr Wade's office did they have what I.

Think it's been referred to as a taint contract so let me be clear and I may get the names wrong when I first became da this the office was not properly staffed and so I did I'm surprised any lawyer would take it but I did a contract for like $60 an hour to help us out with first appearance that lasted a few months okay so I can't remember if.

Bradley or Campbell had that I'm sure we can have records and I can tell you which one but I just can't remember now um I like their experience one had been Bradley had been a prob officer and a defense attorney uh Campbell have been a police officer and a um defense attorney there's a reason I'm telling you this then um that that contract like I said.

It didn't last long it was just I was aggressively hiring hiring hiring hiring soon as I got where I felt like I had first appearance enough lawyers for that I let them go then we had what's called a filter contract but it was not filter for this particular case I do have a lawyer um who does the filter for this election interference case when we're.

Talking about filter the contract they had that neither one of them has any longer um I now have another lawyer that does that for me it was only for police brutality cases it's for what I called the um so when I first got to be the da I had um the whole unit was called anti-corruption it dealt with both elections and police brutality cases I.

Actually took a trip to Houston and visited the district attorney in Houston they divided their work up and I thought the way she was doing it was better than my me and so I I made a civil rights unit and so they did what we would classify as civil rights cases those are specifically the police brutality cases when I first took over I was told Paul.

Had not filtered five cases that was a joke it ended up being the 101 cases they weren't filtered which is why I hired two of them eventually we got it down enough that it was one of them um and then um now I still have one lawyer that does it but now I've been able to cut those cases down to like 30 can you tell me the and.

Help me understand what the purpose of the filter is yes sir so what a filter is is police officers make statements in the line of duty and you are not allowed as the prosecutor to know what those statements are if they're done in the furtherance of their employment and in fact if you know what those statements are you're basically disqualified from.

The case you can't have it anymore so what our policy is I think I pay him like a $50 flat fee they pick the case up directly from the gbi cuz that's where those cases go to and then what they are to do is to re go through the entire file so um the body cam the uh which is important cuz sometimes they'll make a statement to their supervisor on.

Body cam in the police reports where they write things that if it would be easy if it was just some statement of the police officer but what you find out is these statements are embedded in it and so what your filter lawyer does is they go through it they either redact it out electronically or they cross it out and then once it is crossed out then.

They provide it to my team and then we're able to look at it um that was not being done appropriately when I became district attorney I thought that it had only been so Mr Howard had some Chinese wall thing that I didn't think work at all uh where allegedly those cases were properly redacted that ended up being a joke um and so the five cases really.

Turned into I'm not going to say all 101 but a vast majority that is the work that Mr Bradley and Mr Campbell did for me they did a really good job all of those cases that we originally came with they're done those cases are they're not just done for Mr Bradley and Mr Campbell they're done through my office but obviously life is not stagnant there.

Have been new police cases um I do have a lawyer that is doing that work now that doesn't work for me that's same kind of deal I have another lawyer that does filtering for this case completely separate so in the same private office you had a filter contract then you had somebody else having handling first.

Appearances and so forth and then you had a special prosecutor is that correct I'm I'm just not ultimately the answer to your question is yes but I'm not sure that they did it at the same time the first appearance contract was either $60 or $90 I don't know really how I convinced them to be able to take that but I think because it was for such.

A short amount of time and then I think I pay my filter lawyers which I still don't know how I get away with about 150 an hour and I want you to understand the AG pay special prosecutors $1,000 an hour so um I'm a tough negotiator Paul was paying people up to 375 an hour um I won't pay anyone more than 250 is my Max I have a lot of lawyers that a lot for.

What I have that work at 250 and I cap them every month you can't go past a certain amount of hours would you agree that if if Mr Wade and the two other gentlemen that were in his firm were splitting fees in equal thirds would you agree that he would benefit from the tank contract and also from the other first appearance contract.

I I would agreee he would make money yes so to make money is a benefit J just thought got Mr Jam if you're still with us on Zoom no question Mr McDougal I do have a couple your honor but it's a little awkward from back here yeah watch you go ahead and make your way up good afternoon Miss WS how you doing I'm.

Very well how are you Mr McDougall I think this is our first inperson meeting correct second second well I apologize for not remembering any more clear that's quite all right um I'm referring now to exhibit number 21 yes sir which was your financial disclosure form for 2022 yes sir and it has a.

Question which requires you to disclose any gifts or favors from a single prohibited Source in the aggregate amount of $100 or more do you see that I don't but I believe you it would be on page two in the middle paragraph number three yes and what is your understanding of a prohibited source for purposes of this.

Form I believe there's some classification of somebody you like don't have a personal relationship with that gives you $100 all right if you look under under there at sub paragraph two when at two it defines it as someone that you know or should know is seeking to do or is doing business with the county.

Correct yes but I yes let me yes that includes Mr Wade as of the date you filled out this form correct yes but he never gave me a gift of $100 or more um the only thing that I would say maybe went over that but I don't think it ever did is if we went to dinner and my meal was $100 but I don't think I've ever eaten $100 worth of food at a restaurant.

Cuz I I would not pay him back if we went to lunch or went to dinner um but trips I paid him back for you know I never thought about the money until y'all brought it up and I would be less than honest that says I was giving him the money back because I was the district attorney um I didn't take gifts from.

Him for a lot of personal reasons anyway I did not take gifts from him and so your reason for not disclosing any gifts from Mr Wade on exhibit number 21 is that the aggregate amount on a net basis was less than $100 in the year 2022 is that.

Correct I did not accept a gift of him of more than $100 in 2022 the one exception to that if you cuz I want us to be clear is we probably went out to eat multiple times in the year if you're considering eating a meal you know because we went out multiple times that probably went to the level of more than $100 but if if we're doing tip for T.

Like that I probably paid for as many meals as he paid for and so I did not receive any gifts from him the question on the form I understand the question aggregate in excess of $100 and your testimony is that you did not receive in the agregate order $100 all right Mr MCD you can sit down now I don't believe she answered that question honor she.

Answered as to specific individual gifts and you're not listening to my answer either so we're done very well okay Mr rice no further question Miss uh Mr Gillan good afternoon good afternoon sir um a few questions here U I want to you saw the book here find me the votes that was shown to you correct yes sir I would like to just tender this as an exhibit.

Uh number 20 is that your copy it is all right what exhibit is that going to be 22 all right I'm making the the uh the is that evident contribution here um to this now ing it is it with position of the state that objec to the relevance at this point that's to we Haven there's no.

Relevance at this point um Mr G you are using this to the prior statements yes your honor and statements that she made concerning her concerning her financial situation and laying the foundation for that and that she gave these interviews uh to the authors and so this would document that don't ask her get this in the record ask.

Her questions back uh we could mark it for impeachment purposes I'm a little wary of entering an entire 300 Page book because I don't know exactly what every single line if it would pass hearsay or relevance or etc etc but I don't think it needs to be admitted as a an actual evidence for the record if you to do what you need to do with it so well.

Uh your honor I I understand I I just would it's Mark 22 and I'll let you we'll move from there uh thank you honor now you were asked a little bit about this Pro before correct I think Mrs Mrs Merchant Merchant did asked me some questions yes and and you gave about what about six interviews to the authors of this book in a sit down no sir you.

Didn't uh was it she answered how many interviews she gave in her opinion how many in your opinion do you believe you gave and how long did they last two to three maybe 20 30 minutes so your testimony is at most you think that you gave n an hour to an hour and a half's interview to the authors of this book Oh you mean in total in total yeah maybe.

Yeah anywhere between definitely not more than two-ish hours okay but you also were telling when when they were the title of the book of course is a hard charging Georgia prosecutor a rogue president and the plot to Steel American election you why is the title of the book relevant sir.

Get in I'm going to ask her whether or not that was the the them that they gave her when they talked with her the thing gave her what what do you mean by that well because they were they would sat down and they told her why they were there to interview her and why and why does that matter well I think it matters because it shows but the they they want.

Her to give her version of what uh her life story is this is a life almost a life story of her so that's why it's relevant but if if the court thinks it's not then no no it's it could be relevant to your issue of the forensic misconduct that has been alleged and maybe some of the the motives at play when it comes to.

Forensic misconduct but I'm not seeing again what we're here for today was the relationship Andor any Financial elements of it correct well I think clearly relevant to the uh forensic misconduct also relev personal interest in terms of the finances let me I didn't make 10 cent off that book pardon me I didn't make 10 cents off that book.

Didn't ask whether you made any money okay just didn't ask whether you made any money do you have any other statements that she hadn't already been fronted with by Miss Merchant well other than I want to to to focus on when you were telling them about your financial Straits and you living kind of month-to month uh that is what your financial.

Status was back in 201 18 after your election Mr we covered that at length and you just you're at the end of the line I'm sorry about that but we got to find new ground well uh you know let me move on to to my point here so the point is that what you're telling us is that uh you were uh in financial Straits but really that your testimony today is you.

Had a cash horde of maybe up to $10,000 in cash where you laid your head at night so that you would dip out and there would be no record of it correct that's not what I'm telling you sir that's not that's not at all what I'm telling you what I'm telling you is that throughout the course of my life I have always kept cash in my house that that.

Cash has ranged from times you know my father will probably be ashamed of this cuz he would say it should be more but that time that cash at times has range from $500 to maybe $9,000 and he he would be like that is not what I told you to do um I've always had that amount of money what I've told you is that when I travel.

You do better negotiating when you travel if you have cash you can you go to get the cab they say oh we going to charge you 300 for the the day well I got American cash will you take it for 150 and so it's my practice to take money when I travel we're not talking about a whole lot of money we're going to the Bahamas 1,500 in cash is in my.

Pocket or at the most 2500 bise was actually probably the most money I've ever taken and it was taken because it was a big deal my 50th birthday sucked his 50 year it sucked it was ter up no get back to some questions here brother I'm trying to answer it it would if we so so let's let's let's move to the specific yes or NOS here have you.

Told us today that you would keep uh a cash hord in your residence up to about $99,000 yes or no and and throughout the course of my adult life and so let's even be more specific than that probably from the time your honor I'm only asking for yes or no rather than we have already covered this so the it's late the filibuster is here.

I'm trying to move through the filibuster yeah but we're not talking about a lot of and so it's it could be 2,000 it could be500 it could be 7500 it just depends on how what you're doing at that time what I'm telling you is when I traveled I took cash I find that when you travel especially to foreign countries the American dollar does well.

And it's good to have cash you can negotiate with the taxi driver with the jet skis with the and it's not a lot of money we're talking about cut off the let's get to a question Mr and so you have cash in your house but you had a lean a tax lean on your property is that right I don't believe I had a tax lean on my property you didn't.

Have a tax lean on your property you got you got to talk okay we we already covered that Mr Gillan I need here I'm asking the question I'm trying to figure out how someone can have uh have a tax lean then ask that question but not use the money that they allegedly said they have I think Miss Merchant asked that exact.

Same question said she didn't use the money to pay your tax so what's your question that's new so so I was going to build on that to say no more billing it's already built all right it's the same way you pay a bill just just top on it if you need to okay it's the same way you owe a bill and go shopping well uh now you know have you ever used did you.

Say earlier the used cash app I when I would pay Robin Bryan I used cash app what is Cash app for the record I don't need to know that for the record let's keep going well so uh if you're paying Robin with cash app why aren't you paying uh allegedly paying Mr 's no alleged here why aren't you paying allegedly Mr Wade with cash app I don't.

Think Mr Wade does cash app did you ask him I think he's told me he doesn't do cash app okay so that's the reason why you didn't use cash app he's sitting next to me I hand him the money because there would be a record in cash app of your making payments correct yes but I didn't think that I was making a record in a personal.

Relationship because when you're filing your and and I know that I'm going to move into this uh financial statement here you were asked just a second ago about your non-disclosure form or your excuse me your disclosure form of an exhibit 21 where U we agree that Mr Wade is a prohibited Source correct I don't I what I agree to is I don't believe he's.

Giving me gifts you you would like to classify these trips as gifts but I've always paid my fair share on these trips so I didn't not look at them as gifts I don't think that what this is disclosing and they can tell me if they mean something different I don't think it means that if you go to dinner with somebody over the course of.

A year and it gets to 100 you're supposed to report it if my understanding of that is wrong um I probably been to lunches with a couple of people that over the course of the year they paid I paid let me prohibited Source means we already went over this Mr Gill Mr McDougall well you I have to I have to lay the foundation here before.

I can follow up with my next question I don't I don't know why you can't you have to it's question been made then your two uh 2022 disclosure form did not list any of the thousands and thousands of dollars that Mr Wade uh paid for on trips that you were on isn't that corre that's because Mr Wade was.

Paid that money back or he was paid uh due to the fact that I bought the plane ticket or I paid for the hotel there there were never money that he gave me that that wasn't the nature of our relationship you know there's so many men and Mr Wade is one of them where the nature of the relationship is they're just paying a woman the nature of our.

Relationship is companionship and friendship ship despite the way people would like to paint certain women it's just not true final question and not a single solitary documentary P of showing that you have withdrawn the cash to pay that's not accurate thank you okay Mr mull on behalf of Mr Floyd question all right and Mr Cromwell on.

Behalf of M Le great thing about the coming last is both your questions I had one question Miss Wills can you hear me yes sir in the time period between February of 2021 and January of 2022 while you were staying at the Yi condo did your father ever come and visit you during that time period at the.

Yi cond he did not that's all I have thank you R all right uh Miss cross I would imagine you have a number of topics to cover with Miss Willis that'll take more than 10 to 15 minutes no I do okay then I think we've reached a stopping point for today and so uh Miss Wills I'd ask if you can step down now and i' also remind you that uh.

You're not to discuss your testimony or uh that of any other long back here and we'll begin again at 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. uh we'll do 9:00 a.m. this time tomorrow before we uh recess for today I want to check in on Logistics and uh I'll ask Miss Merchant.

Um once the testimony of Miss Willis has concluded uh how many other Witnesses do you anticipate calling um and then Del record sted we can we can handle that now M will you can set you can sit down you're done for the day you want me to leave the courtroom uh where you consider the.

Council t we we don't Maj the witness box uh all right so two witnesses and then quering other defense counsel um I know uh Mr Gillan there was a potential witness that was objected to by the state so there's another one there and we can talk about that where there any other Witnesses anticipated from any defense Council all right seeing no show.

Of hands and then miss cross uh any uh any Witnesses on your behalf I expect so your honor and I expect that to take um 4 to hours okay and how many witnesses would you imagine without committing myself to a final number my best guest at this point would be 3 to four okay

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