Nathan Wade grilled on witness stand during Fani Willis disqualification hearing

High drama took over a Georgia courtroom on Thursday during a hearing meant to determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis would be disqualified from heading up the election interference case against former President Donald Trump when her former lover, special prosecutor Nathan Wade, took the stand as the Daily Mail reports.

At the heart of the often-awkward exchanges were details of the romantic relationship between Wade and Willis and whether it commenced prior to Wade's hiring as a key member of the Trump prosecution team.

During the proceedings, Steven Sadow, an attorney representing Trump, pressed Wade on exactly when his and Willis' entanglement began and ended, an issue that was the subject of conflicting witness statements.

Under that line of questioning, Wade declared that his romance with Willis came to an end in the summer of 2023, and that is when Sadow inquired if “any personal relationship at all” was still ongoing.

Wade's response likely caused shudders not just among courtroom observers but also those watching the proceedings on live television across the country, largely due to the blunt language he used.

“Are you asking me have I had intercourse with the district attorney?” Wade asked.

He then stated, “The answer would be no.”

Attempting to clarify, Wade went on, “We're very good friends. Probably closer than ever because of these attacks. But if you're asking me about specific intercourse, the answer is no.”

As far as the timeframe in which the relationship purportedly began, Wade did not deviate from a previously submitted affidavit claiming that it did not commence until 2022.

“Let's be clear: 2022 was the start of any intimate sexual relationship with the district attorney,” Wade declared.

Later in the day, Willis defiantly took the stand herself and tried hard to counter allegations – and testimony from a former friend of hers – claiming that the love affair actually started in 2019, well before the D.A. controversially contracted with Willis to assist on the Trump case and contrary to written representations the duo separately made to the court.

Given that Wade and Willis testified that during their relationship, the pair went on lavish trips that were arguably paid for, at least in part, by funds Wade earned as a result of the contract given to him by Willis, defendants in the election interference case are calling for her disqualification due to what they say is the resulting conflict of interest.

Though there was much legal wrangling between lawyers and witnesses regarding the terminology used to describe various stages of a relationship and the credibility of claims regarding cash payments for vacation expenses, the overall consensus of legal and media observers seemed to be that things did not go well for Willis or Wade.

Summing things up succinctly was MSNBC legal analyst Caroline Polisi, who declared of the day's events, “Don't let the legalese fool you. This is epic. This is monumental. If things are going in the direction we think, Fani Willis lied to the court, it's game over for her. She will be disqualified.”