Trump Georgia case hearing continues as Fani Willis testifies

Several advisers and confidants of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis privately urged her in recent weeks to encourage top prosecutor Nathan Wade voluntarily step aside, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions. 

Willis is being advised by people inside and outside of the district attorney’s office, though one source said there is a difference of legal opinions about what to do next.

Willis and Wade have so far resisted the push for him to resign from the Georgia election subversion case, a stance that the two reinforced in their defiant testimony Thursday in an Atlanta-area courtroom where they pushed back on allegations that their now-ended romantic relationship created a disqualifying conflict of interest. 

CNN previously reported that Willis had no plans to recuse herself from the case after allegations surfaced that she and Wade engaged in an improper romantic relationship. Sources familiar with the situation said prior to Thursday’s hearing that Wade also did not have immediate plans to step away from the case either but acknowledged his future was more uncertain. 

Wade is interchangeable and could be replaced without forcing the case to be assigned to another prosecutor’s office, multiple sources familiar with the situation stressed before and after he testified on Thursday. 

Privately, Wade has told others working on the Georgia election case he does not want to be a distraction, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

It remains unclear if Wade’s testimony has moved the needle at all in terms of the likelihood he resigns. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office declined to comment.