Fani Willis

[kittywalker]

Did anyone watch the hearing on Tuesday where Terrence Bradley was re-questioned? This case is bothering me so much. I can't believe that Willis felt it was ok to hire someone she was dating without disclosing it and create even the appearance of personally benefiting from the money she paid him. She should be going above and beyond to avoid issues like this given the Trump case.

I believe they were dating before she hired him, and I think it's fascinating that Bradley obviously (in my opinion) knows that and is jumping through hoops to avoid telling the truth. For example - your small firm gets a contract with the DA's office, Wade brings the work to you, and you don't know whether, at the time Wade brought you the work, he was dating Willis? He was your partner, your friend, you shared an office, he brought you the job, and you had no idea at the time? I think this is all bullshit and it makes me mad that they will get away with this.

I am a Compliance/Ethics Lawyer at huge global company and we have terminated employment for less than this. If I did this, I would be fired so fast. No one would care whether I was actually dating the vendor/contractor, only if there could have been the appearance that I was.

Just my two cents.

[mrsd2006]

Yeah I am pretty pissed about it.

[icedcoffee]

I missed the re-questioning, but I am also angry about this. So many people are lying under oath. Lying is wrong, people. Full stop. You're grown adults and you can bang whoever you want, but please use some discretion when making major decisions about a case this large.

I know people disagree with me that the cash stuff was not credible, but I still don't believe it.

This whole situation annoys me.

[glw]

Yes and the whole situation is just...UGH. These people are all lawyers! They know better!

[pumpkin]

I’m so annoyed by all this! And the lying and lack of evidence amaze me

[mrshandy]

I'm pissed as well. But in the eyes of disqualification, I don't know if it will reach that threshold. Of course all of this will impact her position as DA. But none of it means she can't prosecute the case. If McAfee thinks she and Wade may have committed perjury I have no idea what that means.

My question about Bradley is if he's not telling the truth now. Why was he blabbing off to Ashley Merchant 4 months ago? He had no legal obligation to tell her anything. He could have just told her to fuck off. I'm telling you nothing. What were his motives then and what are his motives now?

[mrsd2006]

Feb 29, 2024 14:43:59 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

I'm pissed as well. But in the eyes of disqualification, I don't know if it will reach that threshold. Of course all of this will impact her position as DA. But none of it means she can't prosecute the case. If McAfee thinks she and Wade may have committed perjury I have no idea what that means.

My question about Bradley is if he's not telling the truth now. Why was he blabbing off to Ashley Merchant 4 months ago? He had no legal obligation to tell her anything. He could have just told her to fuck off. I'm telling you nothing. What were his motives then and what are his motives now?

www.yahoo.com/news/texts-show-witness-readily-helped-184252106.html

This says him and Wade had a "bitter falling out"- whatever that means. So that may have affected his decision to cooperate. 

[glw]

Feb 29, 2024 15:49:50 GMT -5 mrsd2006 said:

Feb 29, 2024 14:43:59 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

I'm pissed as well. But in the eyes of disqualification, I don't know if it will reach that threshold. Of course all of this will impact her position as DA. But none of it means she can't prosecute the case. If McAfee thinks she and Wade may have committed perjury I have no idea what that means.

My question about Bradley is if he's not telling the truth now. Why was he blabbing off to Ashley Merchant 4 months ago? He had no legal obligation to tell her anything. He could have just told her to fuck off. I'm telling you nothing. What were his motives then and what are his motives now?

www.yahoo.com/news/texts-show-witness-readily-helped-184252106.html

This says him and Wade had a "bitter falling out"- whatever that means. So that may have affected his decision to cooperate. 

"At the previous hearing, McAfee abruptly ended Bradley’s questioning after a prosecutor claimed during cross-examination that Bradley and Wade ended their legal partnership after Bradley was accused of sexually assaulting an employee and a client. Prosecutors implied it raised questions about Bradley’s credibility as a witness and whether he had ill will toward Wade.

Bradley strongly denied he had sexually assaulted anyone but admitted that the employee’s claims led him to sever his partnership with Wade."

wapo.st/48viGxP 

[cous0226]

I tuned in shortly after he was already on the stand and had no idea who he was. I was just like wtf is going on here, how can you not remember anything. Then I see the connection and just omg, I don't know how the judge sat there and just took all of that in. It reminded me of Murdaugh trying to answer questions. It was so bad and obvious he was lying.

This case will be so problematic because Wade apparently has zero experience in this type of case and this is the only fucking case we have a shot at. I know they had a former governor/lawyer testify that Willis offered the role to him and he didn't want it. I guess they were trying to make it seem like no-one else wanted the job because of threats and Wade was the only choice. I just don't believe that.

[pixy0stix]

Re threats - I just read that the threats against the judges hearing the Trump cases is unprecedented - www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-judges-threats/

[livinitup]

kittywalker As someone with a good command of the accusation, and ethics for lawyers in general, would you mind walking us through the violations that Fani Willis committed? Clearly, the hearing means she’s suspected of doing something grievous and you said folks get fired for it. I would love to hear from someone that’s not selling a point of view.

[underwaterrhymes]

This is all so messy.

I would be so pissed if these were Republicans, but I also feel like this is politically and racially motivated but I’m also infuriated because this needed to be handled so impeccably and without anything to give any cause for dismissal but I also feel like this has already been handled so poorly on both sides.

[basilosaurus]

Feb 29, 2024 18:49:25 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Re threats - I just read that the threats against the judges hearing the Trump cases is unprecedented - www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-judges-threats/

Does this surprise anyone? Everything about that asshole is unprecedented. Threats to law, democracy should at this point just be assumed fact. 

[kittywalker]

Feb 29, 2024 20:30:09 GMT -5 livinitup said:

kittywalker As someone with a good command of the accusation, and ethics for lawyers in general, would you mind walking us through the violations that Fani Willis committed? Clearly, the hearing means she’s suspected of doing something grievous and you said folks get fired for it. I would love to hear from someone that’s not selling a point of view.

I think the initial issue was whether she failed to disclose a conflict of interest to her office when hiring Wade. Her personal interests could conflict with those of her office if she hires and potentially personally benefits from something she does in the course of her work. Professional conduct rules vary by state, but the gist of them is similar and the same as at most companies: if there is even the appearance of a conflict, or a potential conflict, you disclose it and let someone else make the decision (as in, if she was dating Wade, some other impartial person should have been the decision maker on his hiring).

If she had just disclosed this at the time, the whole thing could have been avoided. She can date whoever she wants. But now, we have to wonder if she hired him and paid him so that he could take her on vacations (I realize this probably isn’t true and the money isn’t what swayed her, she doesn’t need his money), or so that she could give her unqualified (some say) boyfriend this prestigious role in an important and high visibility case.

Now, to make matters worse, I think that she and Wade and Bradley lied under oath. To me, that’s even worse. It’s pathetic, really, and it’s a shame that she didn’t take this Trump case MUCH more seriously.

The conflict of interest could get her disqualified from the case and the case potentially dismissed.  The perjury, if the judge finds that she committed it (and I don’t think he will, but he should) should get her disbarred.

[pixy0stix]

Fani Willis can continue on with the case - www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/fani-willis-disqualification-ruling-trump-georgia-rcna141742

[mrsd2006]

Mar 15, 2024 8:04:03 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Fani Willis can continue on with the case - www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/fani-willis-disqualification-ruling-trump-georgia-rcna141742

Thank goodness. I think that's a fair resolution. Hopefully she can find someone to replace him rather quickly, but I doubt it. 

[mrsd2006]

Nathan Wade stepped down today.