Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis addressed churchgoers at Big Bethel AME in her first public remarks since Trump co-defendant Mike Roman sought to disqualify her based on an alleged “improper” relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
🧵with videos⬇️
Willis read a letter she penned to God in a moment of prayer earlier this week.
Describing herself as an "imperfect" and "flawed" person, Willis recounted the challenges she has faced during her time as district attorney.
Willis called out congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who earlier this week asked Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to investigate Willis's hiring of Wade.
“I never want to be a Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has never met me but has allowed her spirit to be filled with hate."
Willis described being the target of a "swatting" attack on Christmas night, when someone reported that a woman had been shot dead at her home.
It led her to think that her oldest child had been shot, she said.
"I thank you, Lord, that it all turned out to be a cruel hoax."
Willis appeared to defend her hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Without mentioning Wade by name, Willis said she hired three special prosecutors to work on the case and "paid them all the same hourly rate."
But critics only attack the one who is a Black man, she said.
Willis said Wade has “impeccable” credentials.
He was previously hired by a Republican official in another county for a job that paid twice the rate, she said.
“Why is the White male Republican's judgement good enough, but the Black female Democrat's not?” she asked.
God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, Willis told churchgoers.
"I'm as flawed as they come," she said.
"And one thing you will come to learn about me is I make sure everyone else is good, and sometimes I'm not," she said as her voice cracked with emotion.
Discussing the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Willis said that "his journey was full of mistakes."
"Some of y'all might have forgotten that scandal the FBI tried to do on 'personal indiscretions' they alleged...but now that same FBI will take a day off to celebrate Dr. King."
"You cannot expect Black women to be perfect and save the world," Willis said. "We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace."
"We are all flawed, sinners, unworthy, imperfect, damaged...But we are qualified upon His calling," she continued before concluding her remarks.
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@TylerMcBrien On Monday, the atmosphere around court had begun to feel routine—boring, even.
But the anticipation around Daniels' testimony has created a new sense of excitement.
It's like a stampede today, one reporter quipped as we raced to the elevators on our way up to courtroom 1530.
@TylerMcBrien And Daniels' testimony has drawn some new faces to courtroom 1530.
Arthur Aidala, the defense attorney who represents Harvey Weinstein, is seated on the back row of the courtroom next to Andrew Giuliani. The two have been chatting for the past half hour.
NEW: The Georgia Court of Appeals will take up Trump’s immediate appeal of lower court order that declined to disqualify Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis.
Recall: Judge McAfee determined that *all* proceedings in the lower court would not be put on pause while Trump and others litigate appeal. He still plans to deal with pre-trial matters. But the appellants could seek a stay from the appeals court.
Hello from 100 Centre Street, where Trump’s criminal trial on 34 counts of falsification of business records is set to resume.
The sun is shining in New York City, but the forecast in the Manhattan criminal courthouse looks like it could get a little Stormy…
I'm watching from overflow today, while @TylerMcBrien is in the courtroom.
But I'm cutting out a smidge early today to make it back to DC for a conversation w/ @secretsandlaws, @MuellerSheWrote, & Andy McCabe about the classified docs case.
@TylerMcBrien @lawfare There's not one but THREE lines for the overflow room--a room down the hall from courtroom 1530 where members of the press and public can watch audio-video of the proceedings.
@TylerMcBrien & Ben Wittes were in line for the overflow room this morning: