(STERLING, Va.) — A firefighter was killed and 10 others injured when a house in Virginia exploded while they were responding to a gas leak, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the home in Sterling around 7:48 p.m. Friday after a resident reported smelling gas, according to Keith Johnson, chief of the Combined Fire & Rescue System in Loudoun County.
A 500-gallon underground propane tank on the side of the house was leaking gas into the home, he said.
Nearly 40 minutes after arriving at the scene, there was a “catastrophic explosion” while firefighters were inside the house working the emergency, Johnson said.
“That was somewhat chaotic as we tried to figure out how many firefighters were trapped under the debris,” Johnson said at a press briefing on Saturday.
A volunteer firefighter was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Trevor Brown, 45, with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
He had been with the company since 2016 and is survived by a wife and three children, the fire company said.
“We lost a family member,” Johnson said.
The fallen firefighter from last night’s home explosion in Sterling has been identified as Firefighter Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. He has been affiliated with the LC-CFRS since 2016. @Chief600KJpic.twitter.com/1olm23ySdX
Ten firefighters were transported to local hospitals, including to the Washington Burn Center in D.C., Johnson said. Four firefighters remain hospitalized with varying levels of injury and are expected to survive, he said.
The two occupants of the home and several pets had been evacuated, Johnson said. The two residents had minor injuries and have been treated and released, he said.
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
“We can assume it was propane related but no complete cause has been initiated,” Johnson said.
The investigation will also seek to determine how the leak occurred and how the gas got into the home.
The Loudoun Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are aiding in the investigation, according to Loudoun Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief James Williams.
The large debris field stretched into the street and into the vicinity of neighboring homes. The house that exploded is destroyed, the assistant chief said.
“This is the worst call that we can respond to,” Williams said.
The chief said he is proud of the firefighters’ response and credited it with limiting the number of fatalities in the incident.
“Our folks did their job, they showed up and they did what they had to do,” he said. “We prepare for this. We have a full plan for dealing with line-of-duty deaths. We hope you never have to use it but we’re using it today.”
(LEWISTON, Maine) — Three months before the alleged Maine mass shooter would open fire at a bar and a bowling alley, killing 18 people and injuring 13 more, Robert Card told police in New York he was “capable” of doing “something,” as they coaxed him to go for psychological treatment and evaluation, police body camera shows.
New York State troopers were called by members of Card’s Army Reserve unit out of concern for his mental decline in July, as ABC News previously reported, after an incident the night prior with some of his fellow Reservists. Card was taken that day to an Army hospital at West Point before being transferred for further treatment at a civilian facility. He was released after 14 days. The body camera, obtained via a records request by ABC News’ affiliate WMTW, shows the moments before Card was taken in for treatment.
“Our concern is he is going to hurt himself or someone else,” one Reservist told New York State troopers in July, standing in the parking lot outside the facility they were staying at near West Point, before Card would go for what would be two weeks of psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
Though Card hadn’t explicitly threatened self-harm or harm to others, “He said he was going to ‘take care of it,'” one Reservist told the troopers, another chiming in that he was being “combative” toward the other men.
Card had “never been like this,” the reservists said multiple times – and they weren’t sure whether the behavior and hearing voices had been triggered by his new hearing aids, or something else. The night prior, Card had wheeled on his longtime colleague while on a beer run and “he clenches his fist and comes at me… I’m like, ‘Woah’ and just kind of backed up… was trying to fight me… I was like, this is crazy… he’s like hearing voices, it’s like paranoia… it’s weird,” one reservist said.
Card had lost so much weight in recent months that “his face is sagging, he took his shirt off at the pool and he’s like all skin and bones. I couldn’t believe how much weight he’s lost.”
“I’ve known him for a decade,” the reservist said. “I’ve been in this unit for ten years, he’s never been like that…”
Card was hearing voices that he had a “small d*ck” and that he was a pedophile, as ABC News has reported – to the point where he took a picture of his genitals and “showed the people at work,” the reservists told the troopers, adding, “His boss was like, ‘yo man, you can’t do that.'”
“On its face, it’s obviously weird behavior but the more concerning part is that he was never like this,” another reservist said.
“And he’s a gun nut too, he has a lot of guns,” one reservist said. “He spent 14 grand on a scope too so he’s like … I don’t know, I don’t know what he’s capable of, I’m not insinuating anything but – I’m just saying – he does have a ton of guns.”
Three months later, Card would allegedly open fire at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, in back-to-back shootings that rocked the city and ricocheted across the nation.
The body camera footage from July shows troopers knocking on Card’s door, which he answers shirtless after some delay, his head shaved and wearing shorts with “Army” printed in yellow on one leg.
Card wordlessly leaned an arm with a bicep tattoo against the door frame as troopers said they wanted to speak with him, asking that he put a shirt on. Card, with a slight eye roll, let them in. He pulled on a black shirt with “Army” across the chest, and sat on an unmade bed. A picture of the Statue of Liberty hung on the concrete wall above his head.
Card said he understood the reason the police were called, because he “flipped out on someone” who “messed around with me and they’re cowards and ran away… I didn’t do anything wrong, I haven’t been physical with anyone.”
According to the footage, Card said people have been “saying sh*t” behind his back – as ABC News previously reported, he thought people had been saying he’s a “pedophile,” and that when he confronts people, “they pretend like I’m hearing stuff,” and that “it’s happening everywhere.”
“The staff here was concerned about you to the point that they have command directed you to talk with a counselor, okay?” One trooper asks, to which Card answered, “Alright.”
When asked if he’s willing to go for evaluation, Card shrugged, and said, “I have to if it’s command directed, obviously. But, is it going to help anything? No…” adding, he would “rather have people stop talking and stop looking at me, I’m a f**ing private person.”
“I can absolutely understand that,” one trooper responded.
Attempting to remind Card that his fellow Reservists were, until recently, his friends, Card responded “I don’t have any real good friends, obviously.”
“I hope you understand that they’re concerned enough about your welfare that they called us,” one trooper said.
Card responded riled up, “Oh, because they’re scared … ’cause I’m going to, friggin, do something. Because I am capable!” he said while rubbing his hands together.
“What do you mean by that?” The trooper asks.
“Huh?” Card responds, the trooper asking again – “What do you mean by that?”
Card answered, “Nothing.”
The newly released footage comes just as the independent commission investigating what led up to the Oct. 25, 2023 mass shooting is kicking into high gear.
This week, the commission has officially been granted subpoena power for its probe, which will allow the commission to compel documents and witness testimony from individuals and entities who would otherwise opt not to cooperate. Importantly, this power will include seeking compliance in any state, federal or military court or tribunal – relevant here, given the investigation involves not only Maine authorities but also New York, New Hampshire – and the US military, whose inspector general has launched a separate investigation into the Army’s role into what led up to the shootings.
The commission told ABC News they have received a response from the Army that they will allow some of their personnel to testify. That response comes after months where the commission has said there have been attempts to work with the Army, but as of late January, they had run into some “issues” with the Army, their executive director told lawmakers in lobbying for subpoena power.
“Commission members have always said that they hope and expect people will cooperate with this independent investigation and having the power to subpoena should only be necessary in circumstances where the investigation could be delayed or impeded without it,” a spokesperson for the commission told ABC News, adding they’re “pleased that the Army has agreed to make individuals available” so that it “can continue its important work gathering the facts and evidence it feels it needs to help provide answers for victims, their families, and the people of Maine.”
The Army has been invited to testify before the commission on March 7. Who will participate – and how much cooperation they will offer – remains to be seen.
(NEW YORK) — Jacob Gooch and his family were among the 1 million fans enjoying the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday when they heard a fight break out.
“We hear a lady saying, something like, ‘Not now, this isn’t the place,’ or something, and pushing this guy back,” Gooch told ABC News. “Then all of a sudden, we hear pop, pop, pop pop, pop, pop — you know, the gunshots.”
“I get hit — and I’m thinking fireworks, in my head. So I look down — I see smoke coming out of my ankle, people rushing me,” he said. “I turn to try to start running and I collapsed to the ground, because, obviously, I couldn’t run.”
Gooch, his wife and his 13-year-old son were all shot and are recovering from gunshot wounds to their feet and legs.
“You just don’t expect it to happen to you, but it’s happening so much,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”
One person was killed and 22 were hurt in Wednesday’s mass shooting, which police said appeared to stem from a dispute.
Two juvenile suspects are detained. Officials are now working with juvenile prosecutors “to review investigative findings and determine applicable charges,” a police spokesperson said Thursday.
Killed in the shooting was Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a DJ at local radio station KKFI 90.1 FM.
The 44-year-old leaves behind her husband and two young children.
“We woke up this morning excited and the last thing we ever expected was to have a tragedy in our family,” her brother, Beto Lopez, told ABC News.
(NEW YORK) — Police believe they have recovered the body of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor, whose disappearance had prompted a statewide Amber Alert in Ohio earlier this week.
The body was recovered in a sewage drain in Franklin County, near his hometown of Columbus.
The alert was issued Wednesday after his foster mother, Pammy Maye, made concerning statements to her husband that made him believe Taylor had been hurt or was in danger before disappearing.
Police had been searching for Maye — identifying her as a suspect — and asked the public to report any information on her whereabouts.
On Thursday night, police received a 911 call about a suspicious woman walking around a commercial building. Brooklyn, Ohio, police responded to the scene, identified the woman as Maye and took her into custody, according to Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant.
Maye was then transferred to a Cleveland hospital for medical treatment, where Maye told officers the location of Taylor’s body, according to Bryant.
She has now been charged with kidnapping and endangerment, and police are working to add murder charges, police said. She will be transferred back to Franklin County, according to Bryant.
The biological family has been made aware that the boy has been found dead. The parents are believed to have been fostering the child since May 2023, according to police.
“This is not the outcome that we wanted, but we’re going to make sure that we do everything that we can to bring justice for Darnell,” Bryant said.
Police officers investigate the scene of a shooting where at least one person was killed and more than 20 others were injured after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on Feb. 14, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — Two juvenile suspects remain detained in the wake of Wednesday’s mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade that left one person dead and 22 others injured.
Formal charges against the juveniles have not yet been filed, according to Kansas City police.
Officials are now working with juvenile prosecutors “to review investigative findings and determine applicable charges,” a police spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday.
The shooting, which unfolded outside Union Station as Chiefs fans were leaving the parade and rally, appeared to stem from a dispute, police said.
Initially, three people were detained as suspects in the shooting but the third person — also a juvenile — has since been determined not to be involved with the shooting and was released from police custody, according to the police spokesperson.
Several guns were recovered, police said.
At least half of the victims involved in the mass shooting are under the age of 16, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said.
Children’s Mercy Hospital said it received 11 children, ranging in age from 6 to 15, though hospital officials did not specify if the 6-year-old was wounded by gunfire or injured in the resulting chaos. In total, nine of the children taken to Mercy Hospital had been shot, officials said, while three remained at the hospital on Friday.
All of those victims are expected to recover, officials said.
University Health said it received eight gunshot patients, including two who remained in critical condition Thursday.
Lisa Lopez-Galvan, 44, a DJ at local radio station KKFI 90.1 FM, was killed in the shooting. She leaves behind her husband and two young children.
“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” the radio station said in a statement Wednesday.
“We woke up this morning excited and the last thing we ever expected was to have a tragedy in our family,” her brother, Beto Lopez, told ABC News.
(ATLANTA) — Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case, is set to hear arguments over motions to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, primarily over accusations from Trump co-defendant Michael Roman that she benefited financially from a “personal, romantic relationship” with prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she hired for the case.
Willis and Wade, in a court filing, admitted to the relationship but said it “does not amount to a disqualifying conflict of interest” and that the relationship “has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis.”
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 16, 9:26 AM
Former associate of Wade expected to testify next
Less than 10 minutes after the hearing started, the court is in recess until Judge McAfee hears from both parties.
Terrance Bradley, a former business associate of Nathan Wade, is expected to testify but he is not in court yet.
Bradley briefly testified Thursday but the issue of attorney-client privilege came up and he was dismissed.
Attorneys are currently going over the questions for Bradley that won’t violate privilege.
Feb 16, 9:19 AM
Willis does not take stand on Day 2 of hearing
After a dramatic and heated Day 1, DA Fani Willis is not taking the stand for Day 2 of the hearing.
The state told the court they have no further questions for the district attorney.
Multiple attorneys for defendants in the case, including Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow and Michael Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant, are in the courtroom, but Willis is not present.
Judge Scott McAfee said his goal is to finish up the evidentiary hearing today.
Feb 15, 5:35 PM
Court adjourns, Willis will be back on stand Friday
DA Fani Willis stepped off the stand for the day following more than two hours of highly charged testimony.
The DA is scheduled to be back on the stand tomorrow morning for the hearing’s second day.
Judge McAfee reviewed other motions for Day 2, then adjourned the hearing until Friday.
Willis did not respond to questions from ABC News after leaving the courtroom.
Feb 15, 5:21 PM
Willis questioned by lawyers for other co-defendants
After Trump attorney Steve Sadow wrapped up his questioning of DA Fani Willis, the attorneys for other co-defendants got their chance — but the judge appeared to grow frustrated as defense attorneys attempted to find new lines of questioning.
Allyn Stockton, representing co-defendant Rudy Giuliani, asked Willis about contracts given to Wade’s law partners.
“Did Wade’s law partners, Bradley and Campbell, also get contracts with the DA’s office?” Stockton asked.
“Yes but only for a short time after I first became DA. Then I let them go when my office was properly staffed,” she replied.
Harry MacDougald, representing co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, briefly questioned Willis about her financial disclosure form before the judge told him to sit down.
“I don’t believe she answered that question, Your Honor,” MacDougald said.
“She answered as to specific individual gifts,” Judge McAfee, appearing more frustrated, responded. “And you’re not listening to my answer either. So we’re done.”
Feb 15, 4:56 PM
Willis says she didn’t consider relationship romantic before hiring
Pressed further by Trump attorney Steve Sadow, DA Fani Willis testified regarding prosecutor Nathan Wade that she did “not consider our relationship to have become romantic until 2022.”
“I don’t consider my relationship to be romantic with him before that,” she said of Wade’s hiring.
Sadow suggested that Wade and Willis have not been truthful about the timing.
When he asked Willis who she told about the relationship, Sadow suggested her “failure” to notify other members of team suggests that the relationship “was not as its been characterized to the court” and “that it started earlier than what they say.”
Willis said her and Wade were friends since at least 2020.
“I want to be clear, because my credibility is being evaluated,” she said.
Feb 15, 4:47 PM
Willis testifies early relationship with Wade wasn’t romantic
DA Fani Willis was pressed repeatedly by Trump attorney Steve Sadow about whether Willis had a romantic relationship with Wade prior to November 2021.
“I’m asking you whether or not prior to Nov. 1 of 2021, there was a romantic relationship with Mr. Wade?” Sadow asked.
“I didn’t consider my relationship with him to be romantic before that,” Willis said.
Sadow asked Willis whether Wade visited the condo leased by her friend Robin Yeartie. Willis previously said she took over Yeartie’s lease at one point and paid her rent.
“Would you give us an approximation of how many times Mr. Wade visited you at the condo between the time you moved in and prior to November 2020?” Sadow asked.
“I don’t think often, but I don’t — I don’t want to speculate,” Willis replied.
Feb 15, 4:35 PM
Trump attorney questions Willis in tense exchange
Former President Trump’s attorney Steven Sadow is now questioning Fani Willis on the stand.
As Sadow stepped up to question her, he started with a veiled dig at the DA.
“I’m going to try to ask you questions that you can actually answer without having to explain, OK?” Sadow said.
“Yes, sir. My comprehension skills are pretty good. So we should do all right,” Willis replied.
“We shall soon see,” Sadow said.
Sadow began questioning Willis about her condo, which Wade testified earlier that he visited before being hired.
At one point when Sadow raised his voice, Willis said, “You don’t have to yell at me.”
Feb 15, 4:14 PM
Judge urges decorum after heated moment
Following a brief recess, the hearing resumed with Judge Scott McAfee urging decorum following the shouting match.
“I advise everyone — this being a room mostly full of lawyers — I urge everyone to keep those principals in line and not talk over each other,” the judge told the court.
But as Willis’ heated testimony continued, the judge threatened to strike Willis’s testimony.
“I’m going to have to caution you — you have to listen to the questions asked, and if this happens again and again, I’m going to have no choice but to strike your testimony,” the judge told the DA.
Feb 15, 4:02 PM
‘You lied,” Willis tells defense attorney who filed allegations
DA Fani Willis heatedly told defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant “You lied” just before a shouting match broke out.
“You’re confused. You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial ” Willis said forcefully from the stand.
Speaking earlier about prosecutor Nathan Wade, Willis said she and Wade had a “tough conversation” in August after their relationship ended, but that her respect for him has grown “over the seven weeks of these attacks.”
That prompted an objection from Trump attorney Steve Sadow.
Willis than answered by saying “You lied” to Merchant, and a shouting match ensued between Sadow, Merchant, Willis and the judge.
The court then went into a brief recess.
Feb 15, 3:52 PM
Willis testifies that she paid for trips in cash
DA Fani Willis pointedly testified that she paid prosecutor Nathan Wade for the cruise they took and Aruba trip they went on — in cash — before they even went.
“Did you pay him back? For the cruise and for Aruba?“ asked defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
“Yeah, I gave him his money before we ever went on that trip,” Willis replied.
“And so when you got cash to pay him back on these trips, did you go to the ATM?” asked Merchant.
“No,” said Willis.
“So the cash that you would pay him, you wouldn’t get it out of the bank?” Merchant asked.
“I have money in my house,” Willis replied. “For many, many years I have kept money in my house.”
“I just have cash in my house,” Willis continued. “I don’t have as much today as I would normally have, but I’m building back up now.”
Willis testified that her father says, “As a woman you should always … you should have at least six months in cash at your house at all time.”
“I don’t know why this old black man feels like that. But he does,” she said.
Feb 15, 3:41 PM
Willis says she and witness haven’t had ‘consistent friendship’
DA Fani Willis, in heated testimony, said that Robin Yeartie, who testified earlier, betrayed her friendship and that both of them have not retained a “consistent friendship.”
“There’s a saying, ‘No good deed goes unpunished,'” Willis said. “And I think that she betrayed our friendship.”
“I ran into her about 10 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia,” Willis said of Yeartie. “So we didn’t talk throughout that time period. I didn’t see her. I didn’t even know where she was.”
“And so yes, I have known her probably since 1990, 1991, but we have not maintained a consistent relationship that whole time,” Willis added.
Earlier, Yeartie testified that Willis told her about the romantic relationship with Wade.
Yeartie said she saw them “hugging, kissing, just affection.”
Willis said at one point said she took over Yeartie’s lease and would pay her rent in cash or by Cash App.
Feb 15, 3:34 PM
Willis testifies she and Wade began dating in 2022
DA Fain Willis, on the stand, testified that she and prosecutor Nathan Wade began dating in 2022 — rebutting an earlier witness who testified the relationship began before Wade was hired.
Speaking about a trip that she and Wade took in April 2022, Willis testified they began dating “right around then.”
“When did you start dating?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“It was right ’round then,” Willis responded.
“April 2022?” Merchant asked.
“Around then,” Willis said.
Feb 15, 3:20 PM
Willis, on the stand, slams accusations and media coverage
DA Fani Willis began her testimony by slamming the allegations against her, as well as co-defendant Mike Roman’s attorney, and the news media for its coverage.
“I’ve been very anxious to have this conversation with you today,” Willis said almost immediately. She also said, “I’ve been in the office pacing.”
Willis plainly accused Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant of lying, and assailed the media.
“It seems today, a lawyer writes a lie and then it’s printed to all the world to see,” Willis said.
Willis’ remarks drew objection from Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow.
“I object to the speech making,” Sadow said, but Willis kept going.
“It’s highly offensive when someone lies on you,” Willis said.
Feb 15, 3:06 PM
Willis walks in unannounced, will take stand
As attorneys were arguing over DA Fani Willis’ testimony, Willis surprised the courtroom by walking in to the courtroom unannounced, and prosecutors withdrew their motion to quash the subpoena for her testimony.
The DA is now expected to take the stand.
Feb 15, 2:55 PM
Wade testified his income decreased with case
Under questioning from an attorney with the DA’s office, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that his income decreased after signing on to work with Fulton County, and that he had to work “so many hours” that he couldn’t get paid for.
“In 2022, your estimated monthly income at that time was $14,000 a month?” special prosecutor Anna Cross asked.
“Yes,” Wade replied.
“In 2023, what did that number come to?” asked Cross.
“$9,500,” Wade said.
When asked about the hours Wade worked that he didn’t get paid for due to a cap, because of a cap, Wade said there were “so many hours” that he worked that he couldn’t get paid for.
“This invoice makes me cry,” Wade said. “There’s so many hours here that I worked that I couldn’t I couldn’t get paid for.”
“This is not the type of job that you can walk away from just because you’re not getting paid for it,” Wade said.
Feb 15, 2:47 PM
Wade asked about visiting Willis’ condo
Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow asked Wade about visiting Willis’ Atlanta-area condo before November 2021, which would have been prior to his getting a contract with the DA office.
“Did you and Ms. Willis go to the Hapeville condo prior to Nov. 1, 2021?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” said Wade, who said he “maybe went to talk about a document that I received.”
Sadow then asked Wade if phone records showed Wade made calls from Willis’ condo prior to November 2021 ,would they be wrong.
“Yes sir,” Wade replied.
Asked what other reasons phone records would show him making calls from that area if they were not made from Willis’ apartment, Wade pointed to the airport near Hapeville.
Feb 15, 2:19 PM
Wade testifies divorce timing was a coincidence
Donald Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow asked Nathan Wade why he filed his divorce after being hired by Fulton County.
“Can you answer the question why you waited until Nov. 2, the day after you were hired by Miss Willis. to file for divorce?” asked Sadow.
“I can’t,” Wade replied.
Wade explained that because his ex-wife had relocated to Texas, he was only able to serve her the divorce papers when she returned to Georgia.
“It was purely by coincidence that I filed the day after the contract with the DA’s office,” Wade said.
Feb 15, 2:16 PM
Wade pressed on why Willis reimbursed trip costs in cash
In a stern line of questioning, Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow challenged prosecutor Nathan Wade on why DA Fani Willis would reimburse him in cash for travel and trips.
“You would have received thousands of dollars in cash from Miss Willis, correct?” Sadow asked.
“Yes, sir,” replied Wade.
Trump’s attorney then asked Wade if he “knew the source of the cash” – which Wade said he did not, claiming it was “out of her pocketbook.”
Sadow followed up, wondering why Willis’ form of repayment didn’t stand out to Wade.
“The whole time that you she was paying you in cash, you never said, ‘Hey, why do you have this amount of cash?'” Sadow asked.
Wade answered that in his law practice, “people come into my law firm all the time with cash” and that he “never questioned where they got it.”
Sadow shot back, saying, “But we’re talking not about people that come into your law firm — we’re talking about the district attorney of Fulton County, who I’m assuming receives a paycheck. She doesn’t get paid in cash.”
Wade also testified that he never saw any records of Willis making cash withdrawals.
Feb 15, 2:09 PM
Wade testifies relationship with Willis ended last year
Facing questions from former President Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow for the first time, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that his relationship with Willis ended in the summer of 2023.
“I would say June maybe,” Nathan said of the timing.
Sadow and Wade then went through an awkward line of questioning regarding whether Wade had a “personal” relationship after the breakup.
“Are you asking me if I had intercourse with the district attorney?” Wade asked bluntly.
“I was trying not to,” Sadow responded. Wade eventually answered no.
Sadow also peppered Wade with questions about who knew about the relationship.
“If it was a legitimate relationship, is there any reason this relationship was kept secret or private?” he asked.
“We weren’t trying to keep anything secret, Mr. Sadow,” Wade said later.
Feb 15, 2:04 PM
Defense questions Wade on his contract with Fulton County
Craig Gillen, the attorney for Trump co-defendant David Shafer, pressed Nathan Wade on his contract with Fulton County, how much he was paid, and the timeline of his personal relationship with DA Fani Willis.
“During the course of romantic relations, yes or no — you signed [the] extension on November the 15th, 2022?” Gillen asked, referring to Wade’s contract with Fulton County.
“The answer to that question is yes,” Wade replied.
“Ater the Aruba trip, you get re-upped with a new contract?” Gillen asked.
“Correct,” replied Wade.
Asked by Gillen about an invoice that billed Fulton County for “24 hours of work in one day,” Wade said the date reflects when he completed the task of preparing the election case for pretrial.
“Tell the court what you billed for on November 5, 2021,” Gillen said.
“On November the 5th, I completed the task of preparing the cases for pretrial,” Wade said. “That’s the date I completed…” Wade continued, before being interrupted by Gillen, who said, “Just read it.”
Feb 15, 1:43 PM
Wade questioned if he had ‘sexual relations’ with Willis
Prosecutor Nathan Wade was questioned by defense counsel regarding his relationship with DA Fani Willis and specifically asked if he had “sexual relations” with her.
He was specially questioned by Craig Gillen, the attorney for Trump co-defendant David Shafer, about answers he gave on a interrogatory related to Wade’s divorce, when Wade was asked if he had any sexual relations with a woman during his marriage and separation to his now-ex-wife.
“Let’s just get down to it,” Gillen asked Wade. “Did you or did you not, by May the 30th, 2023, have had sexual relations with Miss Willis, yes or no?”
“Yes,” Wade replied.
Wade was then asked why he answered “none” on the interrogatory related to the divorce.
“I didn’t answer ‘no’ to the question you just asked,” Wade said. “I answered ‘no’ to the interrogatory question.”
Wade was then pressed on the cash payments he earlier testified that Willis made to him to reimburse him for travel costs.
“You don’t have a single solitary deposit slip to corroborate or support any of your allegations that you were paid by Ms. Willis in cash, sir? Not a single, solitary one?” Gillen asked.
“Not a single one,” Wade replied.
Feb 15, 12:54 PM
Wade testifies he never discussed relationship publicly
Prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that he never talked about his romantic relationship with DA Fani Willis in social settings, after a witness earlier testified that she had observed the relationship.
“Did you discuss your personal relationship, your private personal romantic relationship, with Miss Willis in social settings?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked Wade.
“No, ma’am,” Wade replied.
Merchant then asked if Wade ever discussed his relationship with Willis while around Robin Yeartie, the friend of Willis who testified earlier that Wade and Willis’ relationship began prior to the start of the Trump election interference case.
Wade testified that he did not.
Wade said he and Willis are “private people” and said their relationship “wasn’t a secret. It was just private. So not at all … I wouldn’t have discussed my relationship with Miss Yeartie or anyone else.”
Feb 15, 12:19 PM
Wade testifies Willis often paid him back for their travels
Addressing allegations that he paid for DA Fani Willis’ travel when the two of them traveled together, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that Willis often paid him back in cash or spent money on him in other ways so that expenses roughly “balanced out,” insisting that Willis “carries her own weight.”
“All of the vacations she took, she paid you cash?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Wade said.
The defense has accused Willis of improperly benefiting financially from the relationship, by paying Wade a salary that was then used to pay for their travels together.
Speaking more broadly, Wade insisted that throughout their entire relationship, Willis paid her own way, painting it as character trait of hers.
“If you’ve ever spent any time with Mrs. Willis you understand she’s a very independent proud woman, so she’s going to insist that she carries her own weight,” he testified.
“It actually was a point of contention between the two of us,” Wade said. “She was going to pay her own way.”
Wade went through the various trips booked on his credit card, one by one, including trips to Napa Valley and Belize. In one instance, Wade testified it was actually Willis who paid for the “entire trip” — despite the fact that it was on his credit card.
On the Napa trip, Wade testified that Willis paid for the excursions, “so the expenses sort of balances out.” He said it was like any relationship: “In a relationship, you don’t — particularly men — you don’t go asking back,” Wade said. “You’re not keeping a ledger.”
Feb 15, 11:45 AM
Wade testifies his relationship with Willis began in 2022
Prosecutor Nathan Wade, refuting earlier testimony claiming his relationship with DA Fani Willis started before she hired him on the election interference case case in November 2021, testified that the relationship started in 2022.
“When did your romantic relationship with Mrs. Willis begin?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked him.
“2022,” Wade replied.
“When?” Merchant pressed.
“Early 2022,” Wade responded.
“What’s early?,” Merchant asked.
“Around March,” Wade said.
Wade was then asked about conversations he and Willis had around their first meeting in 2019. He testified that they spoke two or three times in 2019.
“She felt comfortable calling for advice,” he testified.
He said the calls progressed and they spoke more frequently. He testified that in 2021, the discussions between him and Willis became “frequent.”
Feb 15, 11:29 AM
Wade testifies he’s ‘not recalling’ traveling with Willis in 2021
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade, asked if he traveled with DA Fani Willis around the time prior to the Trump election interference case being launched, stated that he’s “not recalling” that after being pushed to answer “yes” or “no.”
When asked by the defense if he traveled with Willis in 2023 or 2022, Wade said he did — but he gave a different answer when asked about 2021.
“Did you travel with her in 2021?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“I’m not recalling any travel in 2021,” Wade replied.
“It’s not yes or no, you just don’t remember?” Merchant pressed.
An attorney for the DA said during Merchant’s questioning, “We’re going pretty far field into divorce matters.” But the judge let questioning continue.
Feb 15, 11:05 AM
Nathan Wade takes the stand
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade is now on the stand.
Fulton County prosecutors made a motion to quash the subpoena for Wade to testify, but Judge Scott McAfee rejected the motion, saying the “evidence in front of the court at the moment” is that a witness testified that the relationship predated his hiring, which contradicts their court filing.
“I don’t see a way around the relevance of his testimony,” said the judge.
Feb 15, 11:00 AM
Witness testifies Willis told her of relationship with Wade
Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow drilled down into the testimony from Former DA office employee Robin Yeartie that Willis told her repeatedly that she and Wade were in a relationship before he was hired in 2021.
“Told you that in the year of 2020?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
“In the year of 2021?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
“Are you certain that Mrs. Willis told you about the romantic relationship with Mr. Wade prior to November 1 of 2021?, Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
Yeartie also testified she saw them “hugging, kissing, just affection.”
All before he was hired?
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
Feb 15, 10:48 AM
Former employee testifies that Willis, Wade were dating earlier
Former DA office employee Robin Yeartie testified that Fani Willis and Nathan Wade began dating prior to the Trump election interference case — contradicting the claim in the state’s court filing that the relationship started after Wade was hired.
“You know their personal relationship began shortly after” they met at a conference in October 2019, attorney Merchant asked the witness.
The witness, who said she was a old friend of Willis, replied, “Yes.”
Yeartie is testifying via Zoom after she didn’t appear in the courtroom.
The state is objecting to questions from the defense seemingly at every chance they can, which is significantly slowing down the proceedings. The judge has remained patient, but Michael Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant appears to be growing frustrated with the state’s strategy.
Feb 15, 10:34 AM
Wade associate invokes attorney-client privilege
Terrance Bradley, a former law partner of Nathan Wade, is declining to answer questions about Fani Willis and Wade’s relationship, citing attorney-client privilege.
“I was advised by the bar … I cannot reveal anything that I saw or learned,” Bradley said. “I am here because I also have a law license and I’m not trying to lose that.”
The judge pushed back, saying, “That’s a broader representation of attorney-client privilege than I’ve ever heard.”
The debate has drawn the first comments from Donald Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow, who said of Bradley’s view of attorney-client privilege, “There is no such case law.”
Sadow even suggested Bradley be held in contempt if he continues to refuse to answer questions.
Feb 15, 10:07 AM
Associate of Wade’s takes the stand
Michael Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant called her first witness in the effort to disqualify DA Fani Willis — a former DA office employee named Robin Yeartie, who Merchant says has firsthand knowledge that Wade and Willis’ relationship began before he was hired, in contradiction to Wade’s sworn affidavit — but Yeartie is not in court yet.
As a result, a new first witness has taken the stand: Terrence Bradley, a former business associate of prosecutor Nathan Wade who represented him in his divorce case.
“It wasn’t my choice,” Bradley said of having to testify today.
The state has objected to Bradley’s testimony, saying it is protected by attorney-client privilege. But Roman’s team says the information is not related to his representation of Wade in the divorce matter.
Feb 15, 9:39 AM
Hearing is underway
The evidentiary hearing is underway in front of a packed courtroom.
DA Fani Willis has not yet entered the courtroom, but special prosecutor Nathan Wade is present, along with multiple attorneys for defendants in the DA’s election interference case, including Trump attorney Steve Sadow and Mike Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
Two of Trump’s co-defendants in the case, Harrison Floyd and David Shaffer, are also in attendance.
Feb 15, 9:24 AM
Trump attending NYC hearing
Former President Trump’s attorney has arrived for the Fulton County proceedings, but his client won’t be attending the hearing.
Instead, Trump is attending a hearing in his criminal hush money case in New York.
The former president is not required to be at either of the two hearings taking place today.
Feb 15, 8:45 AM
Attorneys have clashed in court filings
The district attorney’s office and attorneys for the defendants have traded accusations in a series of court filings leading up to Thursday’s hearing.
Trump co-defendant Michael Roman has accused Fani Willis and Nathan Wade of violating “laws regulating the use of public monies” and says they “suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest.” Specifically, he alleges Wade paid for multiple trips for him and Willis, including to Napa Valley and Belize. Credit card statements later revealed Wade paid for at least two flights for Willis on his credit card.
Wade, in an affidavit submitted to the court, said expenses between him and Willis were “roughly divided equally” and that he used his personal funds. The affidavit also said the relationship started after he was hired on the case in 2021, and that he and Willis have never cohabitated.
However, Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, has alleged some of the statements in Wade’s affidavit were inaccurate. Merchant says she a witness ready to testify that the relationship predated Wade’s hiring, which would dispute Wade’s affidavit.
(NEW YORK) — A Feb. 14 mass shooting following a parade and rally for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win has left one person dead and at least 21 others injured, according to officials.
The shooting has reignited discussions about the prevalence of gun violence in America.
As of Feb. 15, at least 4,994 people have died from gun violence in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive – which is an average of about 108 deaths each day. Another 3,351 people have been injured.
Of those who have died from gun violence, 147 were teens and 31 were children.
Last year, gun violence deaths and injuries decreased by at least 8% compared to 2022, with some cities seeing decreases of more than 20%, according to GVA.
There were 43,065 gun deaths in 2023, with more than 36,000 people injured. Gun deaths, excluding suicides, in 2023 were the lowest they had been since 2020. Injuries were the lowest they had been since 2019.
Mass shootings
There have been more than 49 mass shootings in 2024 so far, which is defined by the Gun Violence Archive as an incident in which four or more victims are shot or killed.
These mass shootings have led to more than 80 deaths and more than 170 injuries.
The Jan. 23 string of shootings in Joliet, Illinois by a single suspect marks the deadliest incident of the year. Eight people were killed and nine shot in what Joliet, Illinois, authorities are referring to as 23-year-old deceased suspect Romeo Nance’s “reign of terror.”
Mass shootings in the U.S. have more than doubled in the last decade.
In 2014, there were 272 mass shootings. In 2023, there were 656. Mass shootings peaked at 689 in 2021, according to GVA.
Deaths by suicide
Deaths by suicide have made up the vast majority of gun violence deaths so far this year.
There’s been 3,036 deaths by gun suicide this year, an average of about 66 deaths by suicide per day.
Though GVA has not yet released suicide data for 2023, deaths by suicide have been on the rise throughout the decade.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
Other shootings
The grim tally of gun violence deaths includes 174 people killed in police officer-involved shootings. Seven police officers have been fatally shot in the line of duty this year.
There also have been 181 “unintentional” shootings, the Gun Violence Archive shows. Unintentional shootings reached the lowest they had been in a decade.
Police officers investigate the scene of a shooting where at least one person was killed and more than 20 others were injured after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on Feb. 14, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade that left one person dead and 22 others injured earlier this week.
As of Friday morning, two juvenile suspects have been detained, though formal charges against them have not yet been filed, according to Kansas City police.
Officials are now working with juvenile prosecutors “to review investigative findings and determine applicable charges,” a police spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Thursday evening.
Initially, three people were detained as suspects in the shooting but the third person — also a juvenile — has since been determined not to be involved with the shooting and was released from police custody, according to the police spokesperson.
At least half of the victims involved in the mass shooting are under the age of 16, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday, and fire officials said the victims included eight critically hurt and seven seriously hurt.
Children’s Mercy Hospital said it received 11 children, ranging in age from 6 to 15, though hospital officials did not specify if the 6-year-old was wounded by gunfire or injured in the resulting chaos. In total, nine of the children taken to Mercy Hospital had been shot, officials said, while three remain at the hospital on Friday morning.
All of those victims are expected to recover, officials said.
Elsewhere, University Health said it received eight gunshot patients, including two who remain in critical condition Thursday.
The shooting unfolded outside Union Station as Chiefs fans were leaving a parade and rally on Wednesday as more than 800 law enforcement officers were on duty in the area containing an estimated 1 million people attending the celebration, according to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Several guns were recovered following the incident that, police say, appeared to stem from a dispute, though officials have not yet disclosed what that dispute could have been about and how it may have escalated to the mass shooting.
The victim who was killed has been named as 44-year-old Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a DJ at local radio station, who leaves behind her husband and two young children.
“This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community,” the radio station said in a statement Wednesday.
“We woke up this morning excited and the last thing we ever expected was to have a tragedy in our family,” her brother, Beto Lopez, told ABC News.
So far this year, there have been at least 48 mass shootings in the United States, with 81 killed and 165 wounded, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The investigation into the mass shooting is currently ongoing.
(NEW YORK) — Despite hundreds of police officers being on the scene of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Missouri, a mass shooting erupted, raising the question of how the tragedy could change security preparations at mass gatherings around the country.
One person was shot dead and 22 others were injured in what appears to have stemmed from a dispute, police said Thursday. At least half of those injured were under the age of 16, authorities said. Three suspects have been detained, including two minors, and several firearms were recovered, police said.
There were 600 Kansas City Police Department officers and an additional 250 officers from outside agencies at the parade.
Robert Boyce, a former New York Police Department chief of detectives and ABC News contributor, said more officers were likely needed for an event that brought an estimated crowd of about 1 million people.
“The [New York] Yankees [World Series] parade that we’ve run many times, very similar to this, and also New Year’s Eve, [are] two really difficult things to manage, there’s no question. And it takes a lot of resources and I’m not sure 800 officers was enough,” Boyce told ABC News in an interview.
“It’s a two-mile strip, lots of stuff going on and you have a city that is challenged crime-wise,” Boyce said. “They have a very high crime rate in the city, and has to be considered when you have these things.”
Boyce said there would be a security presence of around 2,000 officers on the ground at comparable events in Manhattan.
“You really want to bring as many people as you can,” Boyce said. “But we have a large department, we can do that.”
“They’ll have to take a look at that, [the police chief will] critique that, as she should,” he added.
Boyce said it is likely the public will see an increased security presence at events with large crowds as law enforcement implements changes in response to mass shootings.
“When you have these events, you try to control them as best you can and you have access points to these events. We have what we call French barriers — those are the metal ones — and you try to control the crowd as best you can,” Boyce said.
“They had a million people there, so you want people to arrive early. I think you had an 11 o’clock start for the event. So you want to get people there as early as 9 o’clock so you have time to let people in and to feel reasonably assured that people are safe there, no one is walking with guns,” Boyce said.
Boyce said the public will likely see police around the country doing bag searches, having a presence at high altitudes to monitor crowds and deploying drones at mass events.
“It’s not something that’s invasive. [With] so many of these things, the priority here is to keep people safe,” Boyce said.
Police can try to also stop people who are carrying weapons by using security checkpoints, with the intention that many others will choose not to go through the checkpoints, thinking they would be stopped and turned away, Boyce said.
“You want people walking by police officers, [before] going through gates into a frozen area,” Boyce said.
He said it is also important to have an exit strategy to allow people to safely leave the event.
“You can’t over-deploy this thing — you have to bring as many resources as you can into the situation. I’ve been in these things, I’ve been in championship parades … in Manhattan and you bring all your resources to bear at that point. And you have critical times there, critical times when these celebrities are going down the street and also when they call it quits,” Boyce said in another interview on ABC News Live.
“You have to be fully on point, fully plugged into what’s going on,” Boyce said.
Securing side events
Another expert says events that draw massive audiences can be difficult to secure, but the celebratory parade is not something that is planned for in advance.
“Mass gatherings have been the primary target that is most vulnerable and most concerning, from a security standpoint,” said Elizabeth Neumann, a former Homeland Security official and ABC News contributor, in an interview on ABC News Live.
The security preparations for the Super Bowl started 18 months ago with dozens of law enforcement agencies involved at the federal, state and local level to make sure the event goes on safely, according to Neumann.
“When you have side events that lead up to that massive event of the Super Bowl and the events after it — like the parade — those are actually also very concerning targets of opportunity but even harder to secure because you don’t actually have the time to prepare — you don’t get 18 months and you also don’t get the same amount of federal resources to be able to secure an event,” Neumann said.
“To the security community, we are more concerned about those side events because they just don’t have as much time for preparation and we don’t have as many resources toward securing it,” Neumann said.
Being able to stop mass shooting incidents from happening is “the trouble that we are facing throughout our society right now,” Neumann said.
“Unfortunately tragic events like this continue to happen in our country,” Neumann said.
“The fact that you had individuals with guns in a mass crowd is very very concerning,” Neumann said. “We need to do better to make sure that individuals aren’t able to infiltrate such a large gathering.”
Gun violence is a greater issue
Neumann said that gun violence in its entirety needs to be addressed and cannot just be on law enforcement to address.
“We certainly can describe the environment we have been living in for nine or 10 years now, where we are in an epidemic of mass attacks that are perpetrated for a variety of reasons, some with very cohesive ideological motives, some with no discernible motive whatsoever, and some are just spillover violence of individuals who are angry for some reason,” Neumann said.
“When you are in that very difficult threat environment it is just an impossible scenario for law enforcement,” Neumann said.
Despite planning and a heavy presence on the ground, gun violence is a deeper issue that needs a proactive solution.
“I thought the police chief did a wonderful job of pointing out how well prepared they were, the number of law enforcement that were on the scene and that they were running toward the threat,” Neumann said.
“Especially after Uvalde where we did see law enforcement failure, it is important to point out how frequently our law enforcement officers are the ones running toward the threat. They are trying to protect the public and yet this keeps happening and it does remind all of us that this is a society-wide problem that we can’t just rely on law enforcement to fix for us,” Neumann said.
“We need to have some tough conversations, why do we keep ending up with these tragedies why do we have too many people who believe that violence is the solution to whatever their problems are,” Neumann said.
(ATLANTA) — The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case is set to hear arguments over motions to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, primarily over accusations that she benefited financially from a personal relationship with a prosecutor she hired for the case.
Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign staffer, filed a motion last month seeking to dismiss the charges against him and disqualify Willis, alleging that she improperly benefited from a “personal, romantic relationship” with prosecutor Nathan Wade. Trump and seven other defendants in the case subsequently joined the effort.
Willis and Wade, in a court filing, admitted to the relationship but said it “does not amount to a disqualifying conflict of interest.” The office also flatly denied any financial benefit, saying the relationship “has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis.”
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 15, 5:35 PM
Court adjourns, Willis will be back on stand Friday
DA Fani Willis stepped off the stand for the day following more than two hours of highly charged testimony.
The DA is scheduled to be back on the stand tomorrow morning for the hearing’s second day.
Judge McAfee reviewed other motions for Day 2, then adjourned the hearing until Friday.
Willis did not respond to questions from ABC News after leaving the courtroom.
Feb 15, 5:21 PM
Willis questioned by lawyers for other co-defendants
After Trump attorney Steve Sadow wrapped up his questioning of DA Fani Willis, the attorneys for other co-defendants got their chance — but the judge appeared to grow frustrated as defense attorneys attempted to find new lines of questioning.
Allyn Stockton, representing co-defendant Rudy Giuliani, asked Willis about contracts given to Wade’s law partners.
“Did Wade’s law partners, Bradley and Campbell, also get contracts with the DA’s office?” Stockton asked.
“Yes but only for a short time after I first became DA. Then I let them go when my office was properly staffed,” she replied.
Harry MacDougald, representing co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, briefly questioned Willis about her financial disclosure form before the judge told him to sit down.
“I don’t believe she answered that question, Your Honor,” MacDougald said.
“She answered as to specific individual gifts,” Judge McAfee, appearing more frustrated, responded. “And you’re not listening to my answer either. So we’re done.”
Feb 15, 4:56 PM
Willis says she didn’t consider relationship romantic before hiring
Pressed further by Trump attorney Steve Sadow, DA Fani Willis testified regarding prosecutor Nathan Wade that she did “not consider our relationship to have become romantic until 2022.”
“I don’t consider my relationship to be romantic with him before that,” she said of Wade’s hiring.
Sadow suggested that Wade and Willis have not been truthful about the timing.
When he asked Willis who she told about the relationship, Sadow suggested her “failure” to notify other members of team suggests that the relationship “was not as its been characterized to the court” and “that it started earlier than what they say.”
Willis said her and Wade were friends since at least 2020.
“I want to be clear, because my credibility is being evaluated,” she said.
Feb 15, 4:47 PM
Willis testifies early relationship with Wade wasn’t romantic
DA Fani Willis was pressed repeatedly by Trump attorney Steve Sadow about whether Willis had a romantic relationship with Wade prior to November 2021.
“I’m asking you whether or not prior to Nov. 1 of 2021, there was a romantic relationship with Mr. Wade?” Sadow asked.
“I didn’t consider my relationship with him to be romantic before that,” Willis said.
Sadow asked Willis whether Wade visited the condo leased by her friend Robin Yeartie. Willis previously said she took over Yeartie’s lease at one point and paid her rent.
“Would you give us an approximation of how many times Mr. Wade visited you at the condo between the time you moved in and prior to November 2020?” Sadow asked.
“I don’t think often, but I don’t — I don’t want to speculate,” Willis replied.
Feb 15, 4:35 PM
Trump attorney questions Willis in tense exchange
Former President Trump’s attorney Steven Sadow is now questioning Fani Willis on the stand.
As Sadow stepped up to question her, he started with a veiled dig at the DA.
“I’m going to try to ask you questions that you can actually answer without having to explain, OK?” Sadow said.
“Yes, sir. My comprehension skills are pretty good. So we should do all right,” Willis replied.
“We shall soon see,” Sadow said.
Sadow began questioning Willis about her condo, which Wade testified earlier that he visited before being hired.
At one point when Sadow raised his voice, Willis said, “You don’t have to yell at me.”
Feb 15, 4:14 PM
Judge urges decorum after heated moment
Following a brief recess, the hearing resumed with Judge Scott McAfee urging decorum following the shouting match.
“I advise everyone — this being a room mostly full of lawyers — I urge everyone to keep those principals in line and not talk over each other,” the judge told the court.
But as Willis’ heated testimony continued, the judge threatened to strike Willis’s testimony.
“I’m going to have to caution you — you have to listen to the questions asked, and if this happens again and again, I’m going to have no choice but to strike your testimony,” the judge told the DA.
Feb 15, 4:02 PM
‘You lied,” Willis tells defense attorney who filed allegations
DA Fani Willis heatedly told defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant “You lied” just before a shouting match broke out.
“You’re confused. You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial ” Willis said forcefully from the stand.
Speaking earlier about prosecutor Nathan Wade, Willis said she and Wade had a “tough conversation” in August after their relationship ended, but that her respect for him has grown “over the seven weeks of these attacks.”
That prompted an objection from Trump attorney Steve Sadow.
Willis than answered by saying “You lied” to Merchant, and a shouting match ensued between Sadow, Merchant, Willis and the judge.
The court then went into a brief recess.
Feb 15, 3:52 PM
Willis testifies that she paid for trips in cash
DA Fani Willis pointedly testified that she paid prosecutor Nathan Wade for the cruise they took and Aruba trip they went on — in cash — before they even went.
“Did you pay him back? For the cruise and for Aruba?“ asked defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
“Yeah, I gave him his money before we ever went on that trip,” Willis replied.
“And so when you got cash to pay him back on these trips, did you go to the ATM?” asked Merchant.
“No,” said Willis.
“So the cash that you would pay him, you wouldn’t get it out of the bank?” Merchant asked.
“I have money in my house,” Willis replied. “For many, many years I have kept money in my house.”
“I just have cash in my house,” Willis continued. “I don’t have as much today as I would normally have, but I’m building back up now.”
Willis testified that her father says, “As a woman you should always … you should have at least six months in cash at your house at all time.”
“I don’t know why this old black man feels like that. But he does,” she said.
Feb 15, 3:41 PM
Willis says she and witness haven’t had ‘consistent friendship’
DA Fani Willis, in heated testimony, said that Robin Yeartie, who testified earlier, betrayed her friendship and that both of them have not retained a “consistent friendship.”
“There’s a saying, ‘No good deed goes unpunished,'” Willis said. “And I think that she betrayed our friendship.”
“I ran into her about 10 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia,” Willis said of Yeartie. “So we didn’t talk throughout that time period. I didn’t see her. I didn’t even know where she was.”
“And so yes, I have known her probably since 1990, 1991, but we have not maintained a consistent relationship that whole time,” Willis added.
Earlier, Yeartie testified that Willis told her about the romantic relationship with Wade.
Yeartie said she saw them “hugging, kissing, just affection.”
Willis said at one point said she took over Yeartie’s lease and would pay her rent in cash or by Cash App.
Feb 15, 3:34 PM
Willis testifies she and Wade began dating in 2022
DA Fain Willis, on the stand, testified that she and prosecutor Nathan Wade began dating in 2022 — rebutting an earlier witness who testified the relationship began before Wade was hired.
Speaking about a trip that she and Wade took in April 2022, Willis testified they began dating “right around then.”
“When did you start dating?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“It was right ’round then,” Willis responded.
“April 2022?” Merchant asked.
“Around then,” Willis said.
Feb 15, 3:20 PM
Willis, on the stand, slams accusations and media coverage
DA Fani Willis began her testimony by slamming the allegations against her, as well as co-defendant Mike Roman’s attorney, and the news media for its coverage.
“I’ve been very anxious to have this conversation with you today,” Willis said almost immediately. She also said, “I’ve been in the office pacing.”
Willis plainly accused Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant of lying, and assailed the media.
“It seems today, a lawyer writes a lie and then it’s printed to all the world to see,” Willis said.
Willis’ remarks drew objection from Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow.
“I object to the speech making,” Sadow said, but Willis kept going.
“It’s highly offensive when someone lies on you,” Willis said.
Feb 15, 3:06 PM
Willis walks in unannounced, will take stand
As attorneys were arguing over DA Fani Willis’ testimony, Willis surprised the courtroom by walking in to the courtroom unannounced, and prosecutors withdrew their motion to quash the subpoena for her testimony.
The DA is now expected to take the stand.
Feb 15, 2:55 PM
Wade testified his income decreased with case
Under questioning from an attorney with the DA’s office, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that his income decreased after signing on to work with Fulton County, and that he had to work “so many hours” that he couldn’t get paid for.
“In 2022, your estimated monthly income at that time was $14,000 a month?” special prosecutor Anna Cross asked.
“Yes,” Wade replied.
“In 2023, what did that number come to?” asked Cross.
“$9,500,” Wade said.
When asked about the hours Wade worked that he didn’t get paid for due to a cap, because of a cap, Wade said there were “so many hours” that he worked that he couldn’t get paid for.
“This invoice makes me cry,” Wade said. “There’s so many hours here that I worked that I couldn’t I couldn’t get paid for.”
“This is not the type of job that you can walk away from just because you’re not getting paid for it,” Wade said.
Feb 15, 2:47 PM
Wade asked about visiting Willis’ condo
Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow asked Wade about visiting Willis’ Atlanta-area condo before November 2021, which would have been prior to his getting a contract with the DA office.
“Did you and Ms. Willis go to the Hapeville condo prior to Nov. 1, 2021?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” said Wade, who said he “maybe went to talk about a document that I received.”
Sadow then asked Wade if phone records showed Wade made calls from Willis’ condo prior to November 2021 ,would they be wrong.
“Yes sir,” Wade replied.
Asked what other reasons phone records would show him making calls from that area if they were not made from Willis’ apartment, Wade pointed to the airport near Hapeville.
Feb 15, 2:19 PM
Wade testifies divorce timing was a coincidence
Donald Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow asked Nathan Wade why he filed his divorce after being hired by Fulton County.
“Can you answer the question why you waited until Nov. 2, the day after you were hired by Miss Willis. to file for divorce?” asked Sadow.
“I can’t,” Wade replied.
Wade explained that because his ex-wife had relocated to Texas, he was only able to serve her the divorce papers when she returned to Georgia.
“It was purely by coincidence that I filed the day after the contract with the DA’s office,” Wade said.
Feb 15, 2:16 PM
Wade pressed on why Willis reimbursed trip costs in cash
In a stern line of questioning, Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow challenged prosecutor Nathan Wade on why DA Fani Willis would reimburse him in cash for travel and trips.
“You would have received thousands of dollars in cash from Miss Willis, correct?” Sadow asked.
“Yes, sir,” replied Wade.
Trump’s attorney then asked Wade if he “knew the source of the cash” – which Wade said he did not, claiming it was “out of her pocketbook.”
Sadow followed up, wondering why Willis’ form of repayment didn’t stand out to Wade.
“The whole time that you she was paying you in cash, you never said, ‘Hey, why do you have this amount of cash?'” Sadow asked.
Wade answered that in his law practice, “people come into my law firm all the time with cash” and that he “never questioned where they got it.”
Sadow shot back, saying, “But we’re talking not about people that come into your law firm — we’re talking about the district attorney of Fulton County, who I’m assuming receives a paycheck. She doesn’t get paid in cash.”
Wade also testified that he never saw any records of Willis making cash withdrawals.
Feb 15, 2:09 PM
Wade testifies relationship with Willis ended last year
Facing questions from former President Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow for the first time, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that his relationship with Willis ended in the summer of 2023.
“I would say June maybe,” Nathan said of the timing.
Sadow and Wade then went through an awkward line of questioning regarding whether Wade had a “personal” relationship after the breakup.
“Are you asking me if I had intercourse with the district attorney?” Wade asked bluntly.
“I was trying not to,” Sadow responded. Wade eventually answered no.
Sadow also peppered Wade with questions about who knew about the relationship.
“If it was a legitimate relationship, is there any reason this relationship was kept secret or private?” he asked.
“We weren’t trying to keep anything secret, Mr. Sadow,” Wade said later.
Feb 15, 2:04 PM
Defense questions Wade on his contract with Fulton County
Craig Gillen, the attorney for Trump co-defendant David Shafer, pressed Nathan Wade on his contract with Fulton County, how much he was paid, and the timeline of his personal relationship with DA Fani Willis.
“During the course of romantic relations, yes or no — you signed [the] extension on November the 15th, 2022?” Gillen asked, referring to Wade’s contract with Fulton County.
“The answer to that question is yes,” Wade replied.
“Ater the Aruba trip, you get re-upped with a new contract?” Gillen asked.
“Correct,” replied Wade.
Asked by Gillen about an invoice that billed Fulton County for “24 hours of work in one day,” Wade said the date reflects when he completed the task of preparing the election case for pretrial.
“Tell the court what you billed for on November 5, 2021,” Gillen said.
“On November the 5th, I completed the task of preparing the cases for pretrial,” Wade said. “That’s the date I completed…” Wade continued, before being interrupted by Gillen, who said, “Just read it.”
Feb 15, 1:43 PM
Wade questioned if he had ‘sexual relations’ with Willis
Prosecutor Nathan Wade was questioned by defense counsel regarding his relationship with DA Fani Willis and specifically asked if he had “sexual relations” with her.
He was specially questioned by Craig Gillen, the attorney for Trump co-defendant David Shafer, about answers he gave on a interrogatory related to Wade’s divorce, when Wade was asked if he had any sexual relations with a woman during his marriage and separation to his now-ex-wife.
“Let’s just get down to it,” Gillen asked Wade. “Did you or did you not, by May the 30th, 2023, have had sexual relations with Miss Willis, yes or no?”
“Yes,” Wade replied.
Wade was then asked why he answered “none” on the interrogatory related to the divorce.
“I didn’t answer ‘no’ to the question you just asked,” Wade said. “I answered ‘no’ to the interrogatory question.”
Wade was then pressed on the cash payments he earlier testified that Willis made to him to reimburse him for travel costs.
“You don’t have a single solitary deposit slip to corroborate or support any of your allegations that you were paid by Ms. Willis in cash, sir? Not a single, solitary one?” Gillen asked.
“Not a single one,” Wade replied.
Feb 15, 12:54 PM
Wade testifies he never discussed relationship publicly
Prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that he never talked about his romantic relationship with DA Fani Willis in social settings, after a witness earlier testified that she had observed the relationship.
“Did you discuss your personal relationship, your private personal romantic relationship, with Miss Willis in social settings?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked Wade.
“No, ma’am,” Wade replied.
Merchant then asked if Wade ever discussed his relationship with Willis while around Robin Yeartie, the friend of Willis who testified earlier that Wade and Willis’ relationship began prior to the start of the Trump election interference case.
Wade testified that he did not.
Wade said he and Willis are “private people” and said their relationship “wasn’t a secret. It was just private. So not at all … I wouldn’t have discussed my relationship with Miss Yeartie or anyone else.”
Feb 15, 12:19 PM
Wade testifies Willis often paid him back for their travels
Addressing allegations that he paid for DA Fani Willis’ travel when the two of them traveled together, prosecutor Nathan Wade testified that Willis often paid him back in cash or spent money on him in other ways so that expenses roughly “balanced out,” insisting that Willis “carries her own weight.”
“All of the vacations she took, she paid you cash?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Wade said.
The defense has accused Willis of improperly benefiting financially from the relationship, by paying Wade a salary that was then used to pay for their travels together.
Speaking more broadly, Wade insisted that throughout their entire relationship, Willis paid her own way, painting it as character trait of hers.
“If you’ve ever spent any time with Mrs. Willis you understand she’s a very independent proud woman, so she’s going to insist that she carries her own weight,” he testified.
“It actually was a point of contention between the two of us,” Wade said. “She was going to pay her own way.”
Wade went through the various trips booked on his credit card, one by one, including trips to Napa Valley and Belize. In one instance, Wade testified it was actually Willis who paid for the “entire trip” — despite the fact that it was on his credit card.
On the Napa trip, Wade testified that Willis paid for the excursions, “so the expenses sort of balances out.” He said it was like any relationship: “In a relationship, you don’t — particularly men — you don’t go asking back,” Wade said. “You’re not keeping a ledger.”
Feb 15, 11:45 AM
Wade testifies his relationship with Willis began in 2022
Prosecutor Nathan Wade, refuting earlier testimony claiming his relationship with DA Fani Willis started before she hired him on the election interference case case in November 2021, testified that the relationship started in 2022.
“When did your romantic relationship with Mrs. Willis begin?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked him.
“2022,” Wade replied.
“When?” Merchant pressed.
“Early 2022,” Wade responded.
“What’s early?,” Merchant asked.
“Around March,” Wade said.
Wade was then asked about conversations he and Willis had around their first meeting in 2019. He testified that they spoke two or three times in 2019.
“She felt comfortable calling for advice,” he testified.
He said the calls progressed and they spoke more frequently. He testified that in 2021, the discussions between him and Willis became “frequent.”
Feb 15, 11:29 AM
Wade testifies he’s ‘not recalling’ traveling with Willis in 2021
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade, asked if he traveled with DA Fani Willis around the time prior to the Trump election interference case being launched, stated that he’s “not recalling” that after being pushed to answer “yes” or “no.”
When asked by the defense if he traveled with Willis in 2023 or 2022, Wade said he did — but he gave a different answer when asked about 2021.
“Did you travel with her in 2021?” defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant asked.
“I’m not recalling any travel in 2021,” Wade replied.
“It’s not yes or no, you just don’t remember?” Merchant pressed.
An attorney for the DA said during Merchant’s questioning, “We’re going pretty far field into divorce matters.” But the judge let questioning continue.
Feb 15, 11:05 AM
Nathan Wade takes the stand
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade is now on the stand.
Fulton County prosecutors made a motion to quash the subpoena for Wade to testify, but Judge Scott McAfee rejected the motion, saying the “evidence in front of the court at the moment” is that a witness testified that the relationship predated his hiring, which contradicts their court filing.
“I don’t see a way around the relevance of his testimony,” said the judge.
Feb 15, 11:00 AM
Witness testifies Willis told her of relationship with Wade
Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow drilled down into the testimony from Former DA office employee Robin Yeartie that Willis told her repeatedly that she and Wade were in a relationship before he was hired in 2021.
“Told you that in the year of 2020?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
“In the year of 2021?” Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
“Are you certain that Mrs. Willis told you about the romantic relationship with Mr. Wade prior to November 1 of 2021?, Sadow asked.
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
Yeartie also testified she saw them “hugging, kissing, just affection.”
All before he was hired?
“Yes,” Yeartie said.
Feb 15, 10:48 AM
Former employee testifies that Willis, Wade were dating earlier
Former DA office employee Robin Yeartie testified that Fani Willis and Nathan Wade began dating prior to the Trump election interference case — contradicting the claim in the state’s court filing that the relationship started after Wade was hired.
“You know their personal relationship began shortly after” they met at a conference in October 2019, attorney Merchant asked the witness.
The witness, who said she was a old friend of Willis, replied, “Yes.”
Yeartie is testifying via Zoom after she didn’t appear in the courtroom.
The state is objecting to questions from the defense seemingly at every chance they can, which is significantly slowing down the proceedings. The judge has remained patient, but Michael Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant appears to be growing frustrated with the state’s strategy.
Feb 15, 10:34 AM
Wade associate invokes attorney-client privilege
Terrance Bradley, a former law partner of Nathan Wade, is declining to answer questions about Fani Willis and Wade’s relationship, citing attorney-client privilege.
“I was advised by the bar … I cannot reveal anything that I saw or learned,” Bradley said. “I am here because I also have a law license and I’m not trying to lose that.”
The judge pushed back, saying, “That’s a broader representation of attorney-client privilege than I’ve ever heard.”
The debate has drawn the first comments from Donald Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow, who said of Bradley’s view of attorney-client privilege, “There is no such case law.”
Sadow even suggested Bradley be held in contempt if he continues to refuse to answer questions.
Feb 15, 10:07 AM
Associate of Wade’s takes the stand
Michael Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant called her first witness in the effort to disqualify DA Fani Willis — a former DA office employee named Robin Yeartie, who Merchant says has firsthand knowledge that Wade and Willis’ relationship began before he was hired, in contradiction to Wade’s sworn affidavit — but Yeartie is not in court yet.
As a result, a new first witness has taken the stand: Terrence Bradley, a former business associate of prosecutor Nathan Wade who represented him in his divorce case.
“It wasn’t my choice,” Bradley said of having to testify today.
The state has objected to Bradley’s testimony, saying it is protected by attorney-client privilege. But Roman’s team says the information is not related to his representation of Wade in the divorce matter.
Feb 15, 9:39 AM
Hearing is underway
The evidentiary hearing is underway in front of a packed courtroom.
DA Fani Willis has not yet entered the courtroom, but special prosecutor Nathan Wade is present, along with multiple attorneys for defendants in the DA’s election interference case, including Trump attorney Steve Sadow and Mike Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
Two of Trump’s co-defendants in the case, Harrison Floyd and David Shaffer, are also in attendance.
Feb 15, 9:24 AM
Trump attending NYC hearing
Former President Trump’s attorney has arrived for the Fulton County proceedings, but his client won’t be attending the hearing.
Instead, Trump is attending a hearing in his criminal hush money case in New York.
The former president is not required to be at either of the two hearings taking place today.
Feb 15, 8:45 AM
Attorneys have clashed in court filings
The district attorney’s office and attorneys for the defendants have traded accusations in a series of court filings leading up to Thursday’s hearing.
Trump co-defendant Michael Roman has accused Fani Willis and Nathan Wade of violating “laws regulating the use of public monies” and says they “suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest.” Specifically, he alleges Wade paid for multiple trips for him and Willis, including to Napa Valley and Belize. Credit card statements later revealed Wade paid for at least two flights for Willis on his credit card.
Wade, in an affidavit submitted to the court, said expenses between him and Willis were “roughly divided equally” and that he used his personal funds. The affidavit also said the relationship started after he was hired on the case in 2021, and that he and Willis have never cohabitated.
However, Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, has alleged some of the statements in Wade’s affidavit were inaccurate. Merchant says she a witness ready to testify that the relationship predated Wade’s hiring, which would dispute Wade’s affidavit.
