Mocobizscene – Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer representing Michael Roman, who is a co-defendant of Donald Trump, faced a setback on Tuesday in her attempts to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the comprehensive election interference case in Georgia.
During a hearing on misconduct allegations against Willis, Judge Scott McAfee disallowed Merchant from asking Terrence Bradley, the former law partner and divorce attorney of special prosecutor Nathan Wade, about the timing of his knowledge regarding the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade.
McAfee concurred with the district attorney’s office in expressing objections to Merchant’s line of questioning. McAfee asserted that the questioning relied on “gossip, innuendo, assumption, and privileged information” and criticized Merchant for failing to provide any substantiated grounds for her interrogation.
During the trial, Merchant asserted that she had the right to challenge Bradley’s credibility by presenting any contradictory evidence. However, the judge questioned the relevance of such impeachment if Bradley had no firsthand knowledge of the matter.
Bradley, labeled as a crucial witness by the defense, is returning to testify once more. Previously, he had refused to answer several questions posed by Merchant, asserting attorney-client privilege.
Merchant inquired of Bradley whether he recalled disclosing the initiation of Wade and Willis’ relationship. McAfee resisted, stating, “Well, no, now you’re delving into the substance of it, which we haven’t established whether he truly knows or how he came to know it.”
During their conversation on Tuesday, Bradley informed Merchant that he was unable to provide a precise timeline or remember specific dates regarding when he became aware of the relationship between Willis and Wade.
The discovery that the two prosecutors are romantically involved has caused a major upheaval in the Georgia case against Trump and his co-defendants. The defense has claimed that Willis hired her boyfriend to assist in prosecuting the case related to election interference, specifically the attempts made by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 vote in Georgia. Willis and Wade both assert that their relationship began only after Wade was appointed to his position.
During the testimony, Bradley mentioned that Wade had shown him the contract offered by the district attorney’s office. Merchant then inquired about the nature of the relationship between Willis and Wade at that time, prompting an objection from the district attorney’s office.
McAfee issued a warning to Ms. Merchant, stating that she had exhausted her available options and urging her to expedite her line of questioning.
The attorney was told by him, “You can ask a few more questions, but if he doesn’t have a date, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to create one today.”
During the hearing, Merchant and Adam Abbate, a member of the district attorney’s office, engaged in a heated exchange. Merchant accused Abbate of coaching the witness, stating that his objections were merely him repeating what had already been said.
“I must object to that comment, your honor,” Abbate retorted. “I’m objecting in accordance with the law and ensuring that the court has a record of it. So, I must express my offense at that comment. It does not align with the facts of the case.”
During Tuesday’s hearing, Bradley admitted to telling Merchant via text that he believed Willis and Wade had started dating prior to her hiring him for the prosecutorial team in the case, despite frequently responding with “I do not recall.”
