Lawyer Behind Effort To Remove Willis From Trump Case Testifies Before Georgia Lawmakers

ATLANTA (AP) — The lawyer who initiated the effort to remove Fani Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump walked state lawmakers through her investigation into the Fulton County district attorney’s romantic relationship with a special prosecutor and why she believes it creates a conflict of interest.

Ashleigh Merchant, who represents Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, was subpoenaed to appear Wednesday before a specially appointed Georgia state Senate committee tasked with investigating whether Willis engaged in misconduct. Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to manage the election interference case, was first exposed in a motion filed on Jan. 8 by Merchant that seeks to toss out the indictment and to bar Willis and her office from continuing the prosecution.

Merchant’s testimony before the legislative committee came on the heels of an extraordinary court hearing that spanned several days. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to rule by the end of next week on whether to disqualify Willis and her office from the case that accuses Trump and others of illegally trying to overturn the former president’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election in Georgia.

Answering questions under oath for three and a half hours Wednesday, Merchant ended up retreading much of the ground that had been covered in court. Unencumbered by objections from prosecutors and the frustrations of questioning a reluctant witness, Merchant recounted how her investigation unfolded and the evidence she had gathered.

Merchant and lawyers for Trump and the other defendants have argued that Willis paid Wade large sums for his work and then personally benefitted when he paid