Summary

  • Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has taken the stand in a misconduct hearing that could see her removed from the Trump election case in Georgia

  • Trump and some of his co-defendants say Willis had an improper relationship with a top attorney she hired, Nathan Wade, and a financial conflict of interest

  • Tensions are high as Willis calls a defence lawyer a liar and says her role is "contrary to democracy". The attorney says Willis is a "hostile witness"

  • Willis previously said her and Wade's relationship started only after she hired him in late 2021 - but a former friend of Willis tells the court the relationship began in 2019

  • Thursday's blockbuster hearing is focusing on whether an improper relationship took place, and if Willis benefited from it in any way

  • Judge Scott McAfee said he could disqualify Willis from the case if evidence supports the misconduct claims, potentially upending the case

  • You can watch the hearing live by pressing the play button at the top of this page

  • Trump faces 13 felony charges in this case of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in the state of Georgia. The former president denies the accusations

Live Reporting

  1. Watch Fulton County court hearing live

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of today’s court hearing in Fulton County.

    The hearing is centring on Fani Willis - the first female district attorney in Fulton County - who last year charged Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants with conspiring to overturn the former president's loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election in the state of Georgia.

    Trump himself faces 13 felony charges over allegations of pressuring Georgia officials and a scheme to use bogus electoral officials to fraudulently certify victory for him.

    But the high-profile case has become entangled in a separate issue. Willis has been accused of having an improper relationship with her lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, by one of Trump's co-defendants.

    Today’s hearing will focus on several elements: whether Willis and Wade had a relationship and if so, when it began, whether it is still going on, and whether Willis benefited from the relationship and Wade’s role as a prosecutor.

    Willis faces the possibility of being kicked off the case she is in charge of.

    For our latest story, stay across Madeline Halpert’s reporting here.