will lean on. >> sandra: kerri kupec urbahn, thanks for sticking with us. quite a few unexpected moments, john. >> john: yeah, nathan wade clearly was on the hot seat. answering a lot of questions that he never thought that he would have to answer. this idea saying he never had an affair during his marriage, but then he backdated of when his marriage ended. the divorce came through in 2022. he said it was 2015 when he and his wife decided there were irreconcilable differences but for the good of the children, they were going to stay together. >> heard that a couple times. great to be with you. set your dvr, never miss "america reports." i'm sandra smith. >> john: i'm john roberts. we will see you again tomorrow. the court proceedings continue with martha maccallum and "the story" right now. martha? >> martha: what a breaking news afternoon. get ready. fani willis, the person who has

been leading the entire case against donald trump in georgia for election fraud in the 2020 election, now she's the center of her own huge issue in this trial. did she and her boyfriend use tax dollars to support their vacation escapades. that's what's contended by a co-defendant in the trump case that was the first. he and his attorney were the first to bring this forward. now it has exploded across this entire case. the question here is not whether or not these people had an affair. that's been established. the question is did they funnel federal money to support their own vacation life, luxury vacations, cruises which involving putting up money. this was moments ago. we're watching nathan wade, the person she hired that turns out to be one of her boyfriends. a lot of questions about whether he was qualified for this. can we listen to this, guys?

let's listen to what she had to say here. >> three documents in front of me. the three files of mrs. merchant. >> three files? >> martha: okay. when she sat down there -- you can see she's agitated. she's -- she looks like she's worked up in this moment. we hadn't seen her throughout the entire course of this. not clear if she had walked in from the back at that moment. she has been no doubt watching nathan wade testify. it hasn't been great for him. he's talked about the fact that she paid in cash every time they went on vacation. he put it on his business credit card. then she heard from a person that is a former friend, someone she was apparently close to. she rented a property from her a condo from her. that friend this affair was going on well-before fani willis hired nathan wade to work on

this public case and be paid in public tax dollars. she walked in, got on the stand after the trump attorneys and the attorneys for the trump co-defendant said there's a lot we need to ask her. we need to have the district attorney of georgia on the stand. we have to ask her because there's so many discrepancies in this case. she got on the stand. she said i'm going to need three documents in front of me. she is loaded for bear, it would appear, and ready to tell her side of this story. obviously on the trump team, they want this case to fall apart. if it falls apart for fani willis, it would be given to another prosecutor in georgia. it won't go away but certainly delay this process to be sure. i want to bring in john yoo, former assistant attorney

general. we're minutes away from her testimony here. we'll break to that immediately. she's about to take the stand. john yoo, your thoughts on what we're seeing play out here. >> this is a disaster for the district attorney. this is a disaster for her office. this is dragging the office through the mud. the reputation, the professional reputation and ethics of this office has so far been destroyed. you have the d.a. hiring her boyfriend to work on the biggest case maybe in that office's history. they bring an enormous case, a rico charge against a president claiming the president's election campaign is a racketeering conspiracy and they're billing and billing and billing. the money that they're making from the billing, mr. wade is using to take the d.a. out on entertainment and vacations. unless fani willis takes the stand and under oath disproves there's a conflict of interest, the trump attorneys have done a job on the d.a.'s offers and

have really undermined the professional ethics behind these prosecutors. also, one little thing. you might have heard a tidbit that is damaging. they suggested that they might have been leaking the grand jury material to reporters to get favorable coverage. if that comes out here, fani willis said she did that under oath, the indictment will be quashed and the prosecution will fall apart. >> martha: that sound like that would be material to whether or not the case can go forward, not just the question of whether or not the behavior of these individuals is suspect and that they need to move to a different prosecutor, correct, john? >> yes, that's right. that was just slipped in by the trump attorneys and mr. wade said i don't know anything about that. they slipped in there were press reports there about what the grand jury has been saying and doing. if that can be brought up under oath with willis, that could, as you say, quash the whole thing. not just move it to another d.a.

>> martha: thanks. stay with us. matt whitaker joins us as well. we were told this was a five-minute break before fani willis takes the stand. she believes she can undercut some of the damage here. she wouldn't be taking the stand if she didn't think she could turn this around, right? >> yeah. that may be some hubris. it will be difficult to inwind this. that's we we need cameras in the courtroom. each of these proceedings should be broadcast. chuck grassley agrees with me on that. but they just dismantled mr. wade. now i think the da will come on the stand and either confirm or deny. if there's conflict on these cash payments, i don't know where this case is going to go. this judge has a real mess on his hands. he has to sort through who is credible, who is not credible. those watching at home need to

watch carefully the objections of the state's attorney. >> martha: the d.a., fani willis that brought the case, an election fraud case doing with the 11,000 votes that president trump asked to be found in this case, it's obviously a very important case of the ones that he faces. this is really about whether or not in d.a. is going to stay on this case based on her own personal behavior. totally separate from the charges with regard to the election. this is whether or not she can stay on this case and run it given all of this evidence that we heard today from nathan wade, who according to him was her boyfriend, lover and someone that took trips with her on the federal dime. let's watch this.

>> district attorney fani willis. >> mrs. willis, how did you know to come in to the courtroom right then? >> there were people -- i was in my office. i heard someone yell this testimony is done. it made sense to me that i would be your next witness. i've been very anxious to have this conversation with you today. i ran to the courtroom. >> as soon as you heard that mr. wade was done testifying, that's -- you assumed you would be the next witness? >> it makes sense. >> did you listen to any of the testimony? >> i've been in my office pacing, ma'am. >> did you listen to the arguments? >> i did hear the arguments this morning. it's ridiculous to me that you lied on one day and yet here we still are. i did listen to that argument. >> all right. so that was it? just the argument? no testimony? >> i listened to the argument this morning where adam i

thought did an excellent job. on how dishonest you were with the court monday. i'm surprised that the hearing continued. since it did, here i am. >> great. so let's talk about -- first let's talk about what you did in preparation for today. did you meet with mr. wade at all once the motion was filed, did you meet with mr. wade and talk to him about the motion that i filed to disqualify you? >> on january -- this first january motion? >> yes. >> i don't know if you can say talked about. i probably had some choice words about some of the things that you said that were dishonest within this motion. so i don't know that it was a conversation. as you know, mr. wade is a southern gentleman. me not so much. >> my question was, did you have -- >> i read this motion, skimmed it, more so, and i probably said some choice things to him about

some of the lies that were told. printed in the media. you know, we used to be in a day and time where you had 60 minutes and people did stories and they verified information. you had this great reporting. but it seems today that a lawyer right to lie and printed for the world to see. >> i want to make sure you answer the question i ask. my question -- >> i'm going to ask -- >> overruled. >> i told you what happened. i read the motion. i'm sure i told him my opinion of it is. and past that, we had no substantive conversation. >> you did not? >> is there something you didn't understand? >> i want to make sure that you did not have a meeting with him in the conference room to discuss the motion. >> next question. >> in the conference room of my office within this week, you produced some financial document. that financial document was given to me. i'm not sure if it was given to

him by me or mr. abati gave it to me. i think he showed me a document in our conference room. as far as the substancive conversation, i would not have -- i don't believe i've had any conversation with him that is substantive related to this. >> okay. >> i have had conversations with him since you filed the motion. they wouldn't be substantive to this. he sent me very nice sermons that have been done. so we've had conversations about did you listen to that sermon. you know, things of that nature. i would say they were in relationship to this. i think he did it to be kind. >> okay. let's started back in 2019. so you and mr. wade met in october 2019 in a conference? >> that is correct. i think in one of your motions you tried to say i slept with him at that conference, which i find to be extremely offensive. i stayed at that conference. mr. wade was my teacher.

i did not meet him when he taught the class. i was standing outside talking to lisa reed, a judge. me and her were just having a conversation. mr. wade walks up. they hug each other. they have some brief conversation. she introduces us -- >> i'm going to object. we thought we would be asking questions and get an answer. not a speech. we object to the speech. >> am i able to explain my answers? >> she's able to explain her answers. >> mrs. merchant, that's okay. listen to the question and keep the answers confined to the questions as best you can. you'll have more than enough ample opportunity when the state is able -- >> it's highly offensive when someone lies on you and try to implicate that you slept with somebody the first day you met them. i take exemption to them. >> you'll have the opportunity to play that when it's the state's attorney to ask more open-ended questions. mrs. merchant? >> thank you, judge. my question is you met at that

conference? >> we did. as i stated, he taught the class. i did not meet him when he taught the class. i walked out of the class and i'm not sure if it was that exact class or we went to lunch. we were standing in the vestibule. like outside of the class. me and judge reeves were having a conversation. she worked at a law firm that i worked at back in 1996 -- >> we're getting way affair. i just asked -- >> she's explaining how they met. that was the question asked by mrs. merchant. these answers are more than appropriate. >> mrs. merchant, if you want more concise answers, perhaps you could lead the will. >> i will. thank you, judge. isn't it true you met mr. wade october 2 -- >> i'm going to object. this is the point that mrs. willis -- >> i want to be here. i'm not a hostile witness. i very much -- >> not that you're hostile. it would be an adverse witnesses. you remember interests are opposed to mrs. merchants. >> mrs. merchant is opposed to

democracy, not mine. >> let's provide. keep things moving. mrs. merchant. next question, please. >> okay. so we've confirmed when you melt. after that, isn't it -- >> i need to explain this. i get to explain my answers. when i met him, judge reeves introduced us. he handed me his business card. i'm unsure if i handed my business card. we exchanged information. he said if you ever need any help, give me a call. he walked to the parking lot. >> so after that, you started dating shortly thereafter. >> that's a lie. one of your lies. >> okay. >> do you know robin yearti? >> i know her as robin bryant. i knew her -- robin did not go to my college. she went to the college of -- i went to howard university. she went to morgan state. i met her threw people i knew.

in college we hung out. not much. she was in baltimore and i was in washington d.c. we hung out a bit. after college, i lost contact with her. i probably didn't see robin until seven or eight years ago a chance meeting here in atlanta. we didn't have a consistent relationship from when i left college and came to emory law school here in atlanta. eight to ten years ago, just by happenstance, i ran into her. she was in atlanta. >> so you have been friends with robin for 30 something years? >> did you hear my answer? >> yes. i'm asking if you've been friends with her for 30 something years? >> i've known her for 30 something years. we certainly hung out and partied together in college. she was from the d.c. area. she had come home and we partied together. wasn't close, but she was certainly in the girlfriends that partied together. and then like i said, i ran into her about ten years ago in atlanta, georgia. >> so -- >> we didn't talk throughout that time period.

i didn't see her. i didn't know where she was. when i ran into her, i was surprised she was in atlanta. so yes, i have known her probably since 1990, 1991. we have not maintained a consistent relationship that whole time. >> okay. the last ten years or five, whatever you'd like to classify it as, have you been friends with her? >> i have not spoken to robin in over a year. i do not consider her a friend now. i think that she -- you know, there's a saying, no good deed goes unpunished. i think she betrayed our friendship. >> let's narrow it down. my questions are from the time period of 2019 until she no locker was employed for you. the last time you talked. my next questions are focused on that time frame. up until she left your office. >> yes, ma'am. >> during 2019, you all were friends? correct? >> yes, we knew each other in 2019. >> in 2020, you all were

friends, correct? >> yes. we were friends during that time period. >> 2021, you were correct? >> yes. >> okay. such good friends that when you needed a place to stay, you asked her if you could take over her lease? >> that's a lie. >> you didn't move into her condo? i asked if you asked her -- >> i did not ask to take over her lease. >> did you move into her apartment? >> i moved in to her condo in april of 21. the circumstances around that were that robin met her husband. they wanted to move in to another and separate place. she wanted to get rid of her condo. my father was living with me at the house. because of this case and because of my stance on gangs, my life was being threatened regularly. my father urged me to leave our home. at the same time, as luck would have it, robin wanted to give up her lease because she wanted to move in with this new man she met who eventually became her

husband. my dad was begging me to leave the house. he was afraid for me, afraid for his grandchildren. she wanted someone to take over her lease, so she didn't have to pay a fee or get abandoned. so i don't remember when, but probably march or april of 21, i moved in and took over her lease. >> did you pay her or did you pay the leasing agent? >> i don't know who the leasing agent was. i paid her. >> did you use cash or card? >> sometimes i gave her cash. but mostly i paid her via cash app. that would be the most convenient thing. i gave her rent. when the utilities come in, she might be like i need $70, i need $100. whatever it was. we never had a problem with money. whatever she told me it was, i never asked to see a bill. i never questioned her. i gave it to her. >> what percentage would you pay cash versus cash app?

>> the vast majority was cash app. there would be times she would say, this bill came in. it's $70. here's $70. >> did you have a monthly rent amount that you paid her? >> i can't remember. it was 1400, $1,500. i can't remember. it varied. i didn't understand until this day. i never questioned her. whatever she said it was, that's what i paid. i abruptly moved out in february -- either late january or early february of 22. >> of 22. february 2022? is that what you said? >> january, february of 22. i believe it's january, but i paid her half the rent february of 22 is what i remember. because i was offering to pay the whole rent even though i didn't live there. i didn't think it was right. i ended up paying her half the rent. >> so that's after you moved out? you said you paid her half rent? >> yes. >> the time you said you had to

move out of your house because you were scared, did your dad stay there? >> my father was concerned. yes. we were both concerned. >> he remained there. >> my father is 80 years old. he would have been 79. he was scared to death of covid. you have to go back to when this was. my father is an older man. i wanted him to move out. we had some discussions about him moving out. what he decided was the risk of covid was more dangerous than the risk of the people that were threatening. typical man. more worried about his daughter and grandchildren than his own safety. you'll get to meet him. you'll understand. he doesn't scare too easily. >> so your grand -- his grand kids were living at the house as well at the time? >> i don't know how old your children are, but when you have adult children, they leave and they come back. they leave and they come back. so there have been periods of time that they're there. they come, they -- whatever they want to do. children do what children do as long as their mother has a house, they'll come to it.

unfortunately the threats because of this case have gotten so extreme, i pay a mortgage and nobody lives there. >> that's what i was going to ask you. when you moved out in april, 2021, you left your dad and your two kids at the house? >> my dad and two kids were not at the house. >> they didn't still live at your house? >> my youngest daughter certainly did not live there. my oldest daughter would come back and forth. i can't say month for month when she was there, when she was not there. i know that she has been there post me moving out. at the time no one is at my house. >> okay. so at some point after you moved out for the safety reasons, at least one of your children did come back -- >> can we get to the relationship or the financial benefit? >> yes. >> so let's see. we were back at 2021. you were still friends with mrs. yearti then. were you friends with mr. bradley? >> i have never been friends with mr. bradley. >> you have never been friends with mr. bradley?

>> no, i don't consider us to be friends. i certainly -- i don't dislike mr. bradley. i don't consider us to be friends. >> is he someone that you would have in your phone and message with? >> i might have text messaged him. >> okay. would you text message him and mr. wade on the same conversations? >> i don't recall doing that. if it happened, it wouldn't surprise me. >> okay that wouldn't surprise you. the three of you. >> huh-uh. >> how frequently do you think the three of you texted? >> i wouldn't think very often. you're asking me to recall i don't know what time period you're asking me to recall. i'm not going to speak to that. i really don't know the answer to that. i don't want to speculate as to how often that would happen. but it's not out of my practice to text two people on one text message. so if you told me that happened and showed it to me, it wouldn't surprise me. although i have no recollection of it >> there would be some record of

it in your phone or the phone records would have records of those texts? >> perhaps. >> talk about -- you said sometimes you paid mrs. yearti cash. when you went on vacation with mr. wade, let's just go one by one. let's start with the first one. what is the first time you went on vacation with mr. wade? >> i think the first time we went on vacation was around april of 22. a vacation is a stretch. i'm trying to be comprehensive. i recall april of 22. his birthday is march 18. so that would have been his 49th birthday. i took him to like tennessee for the day. we went to a museum. i think we might have stayed the night. i'm not sure. i mean, tennessee is kind of hard to call a vacation but i'm

trying to be inclusive. like i said, i don't think he -- i know it wasn't more than a day. >> but you spent the night. >> i think we did. i think there's a possibility that we stayed that night. in april of 22. >> who paid for the hotel? >> i think i did. it was his birthday. >> would you have used a credit card? >> probably maybe a debit card. >> martha: okay. we have lost the signal here just momentarily. we'll get it back, i'm sure. okay. >> it was around then. >> april 2022? >> 22. around there. i don't know like -- it's not like when you're in grade school and you send a letter and says will you be my girlfriend and you check it. i don't know the day that we started seeing each other. it was early 22 is my recollection. >> early 22. you all went to florida on vacation as well?

>> i don't recall going to florida on vacation with him. >> you never went to florida with mr. wade? >> we went to -- when we went to get on the cruise ship, we went to miami. >> that's the only time you went to florida with him? >> i think we went to miami and spent the night. that's my recollection. i think we spent one night so we wouldn't miss the ship. that's my recollection. >> who paid for that hotel? >> in miami? >> yes. >> i don't remember that. >> how did you get to miami? >> we would have flown. we've done that, so that i'm clear, we've done that twice. i think one time we stayed. i honestly can't tell you did we stay when the ship left or did we stay when the ship came back. i also can't tell you -- there's two cruises out of miami. there's one that is in that october time period that was with his mom. and then there was another that was a new year's eve trip. i know i paid for the new year's eve trip. the tickets were $697 each.

i thought this is ridiculous for $700 for tickets to miami. when you travel new year'see, they get you. >> let's talk about the first time you went to florida. that was the time you stayed in miami at the hotel. >> >> i'm not sure of two things. i want to make sure that my testimony is clear. i'm not sure if we stayed in miami or the october trip, i'm not sure if we stayed in miami on the december trip. i can't remember that. and i also don't remember so that the record is clear, i don't remember if the necessity was as we got on the ship or we got off the ship. i do remember there was a night spent in miami because either -- whatever. i don't remember. i think that there was a night spent in miami. >> that cruise is the one that you took in october, right? >> ma'am, if you have something to refresh my recollection, i'm intentionally trying not to be difficult with you but i don't want to make up something. i know on one of those two trips, we stayed in miami.

i'm not sure right now -- you're asking me -- >> i'm sorry. you misunderstood. i was not asking you which night you stayed in miami. i'm asking if you took a cruise in october 2022 with mr. wade. >> yes, and his mom. >> is that the first time you met his mother? >> yes. >> on that cruise? royal caribbean, i believe? >> i honestly don't remember what ship. we've taken two cruises. i don't know what the ships were. >> but he paid for the flight and the cruise? on royal caribbean that time? >> so yes, he paid -- he is the original one that does it. he has something called -- mr. wade is a world traveler. i'm not as versed as him. he's been to six of the seven continents. so he has both a personal travel agent and he also has a cruise travel agent. i don't know anything about either of those travel agents. so he's the one that would book the travel. but we need to be clear when we're talking about just because

he booked it doesn't mean -- i don't consider him having taken me anyplace. let me be honest. the only person that has taken somebody someplace is for his 50th birthday. i took him to belize. i took him to belize because i don't want to discuss his personal business, but i'm happy mr. wade is still here with us. i did 50 big, very big. >> so still on the october royal caribbean cruise. even though -- i'm sorry? >> if you do me a favor? >> yes. >> i don't knowwhat cruise ship what time. so if you'll help me and say october cruise with momma or the new year's eve trip with his sisters, i'll be able to communicate. i don't know which the ship. >> october cruise with momma. he paid for the cruise and the flights for that trip. >> so he called his cruise agent. he booked that through them. because he has a cruise agent.

>> right. >> he also has a regular agent. i don't know the cruise agent's name. >> i wasn't asking ant his travel name. he paid for those. >> he did not. the reason i consider he did not is i gave him his money back. >> i was about to ask that. initially he paid for that? >> yeah, he called his cruise agent. they have his card on record. they do whatever. >> so initially he paid for the cruise and the flight to miami and the royal caribbean cruise? >> it was a package the lady did for him. >> i'm get to the reimbursements. i'm trying to confirmed that he paid for the flight and the cruise in october? >> i think when you say things that way, i want this record to be abundantly clear that he called his travel agent, he calls his cruise agent. they do whatever he tells them. he's like on a first name basis with these people. they do it. and then he tells me how much it is. i give him the money back. i don't -- just like you're asking me about the money with

robin. i don't do my friends like that. if you tell me a g, you'll get $1,000. whatever it is, i didn't ever make him produce receipts to me. whatever he told me it was, i gave him the money back. >> isn't it true he paid for the cruise and the flight on his credit card? i'm not asking about reimbursement or after. he used his credit card to buy the cruise and buy the flight, correct? >> i have no idea how he paid for it. if it's a credit card, if it's a debit card, certainly he called his cruise agent, you know, like how many people have a cruise agent? he calls his cruise agent, tells him where they want to go. you have to remember, he paid for that initial was me, him and his mother. >> and after that cruise, you all flew to aruba and spent a couple days in a hotel there? >> right. he was mother was not happy we left her behind. >> he initially paid for that? >> for aruba, yes, ma'am. >> let's talk about both of those. he initially paid for it.

did you pay him back? >> for the cruise and for aruba? yeah, i give him money before we went on that trip. >> you gave him cash before you went on the trip? >> uh-huh. >> when you got cash to pay him back, did you go to the atm. >> no, lady. >> you would not -- >> no. >> so fulton county pays you direct deposit, i assume? >> yes, fulton county and the state of georgia pay me direct deposit. >> so the cash that you would pay him, you wouldn't get it out of if atm? >> i have money in my house. >> it was there. >> when you meet my father, he's going to tell you as a woman, you should always have, which i don't have, so let's don't tell him that, you should have at least six months in cash at your house at all times. i don't know why this old black man feels like that. when we grew up, my daddy had three safes in the house. my father caught me a lock box. i always keep cash in the house. i don't do it to the degree that my father would do it.

he would probably be ashamed with me. but i always have cash at the house. that has been -- i don't know. all my life. if your a woman and you go on a date with a man, you better have $200 in your pocket so that man acts up, you can go where you want to go. i keep cash in my house. i don't keep cash as good in my purse like i used to. i don't go on many dates. when you go on a date, you should have cash in your pocket. >> my question was, where did that cash come from if it didn't come out of the bank? >> cash is fungible. when you go to publix and you buy something, you give $50. you throw it in there. i took out a large amount of money on my first campaign. i kept some of the cash out of that. to tell you i have cash in my house, i don't have as much today as i would normally have. i'm building back up now. put money in.

it's a very good practice. i advice it to all it to all women. >> you can't identify where the came cash from? >> i didn't say i couldn't identify it. nobody gives me anything. i'm sure the source of the money is the work, sweat and tears of me. what you asked me before is when did the money go in there. what i'm trying to tell you is -- i got divorced in 2005 from my husband. no, no, no. it's important. you said where did the money come from. i need to tell you where the money came from. for many years, i have kept money in my house. that money in my worst days has probably been 500 or $1,000. at my best days, i probably had $15,000 in my house in cash at all times. there's going to be cash in my house or wherever i'm laying my head. >> the money you paid mr. wade, the cash in october of 2022, did you know where that money came from? >> i do know it came from. my sweat and tears. >> did it come from fulton

county or a private job? >> i'm not -- what are you talking about? it could have come from a private job because before i was d.a., i was in private practice. so i earned money during that time period. that's probably in there. it could have -- >> you don't know -- >> what do you mean? >> i understand the situation. we can move on. >> thanks. same with aruba. you don't know where that cash cam from? >> ma'am, you're miss characterizing my testimony greatly. i know i keep money in my house. the amounts of money i gave mr. wade, it was never that serious. i don't think i handed mother than 2,500 in a reimbursement. so we're not talking about $20,000 in cash. i don't have $20,000 in cash right now. the most i ever gave him -- i gave him $2,500 when we went to belize. we went to one hotel and then we went to a second hotel. that $2,500, i gave him while we were still in belize.

i know the aruba trip, the one you describe with his mom, i gave him about $2,000 for that trip for like total. >> his mom went to aruba with you? >> the aruba trip. we got off of a cruise ship and we went to aruba, which is why i cannot remember is that the time we had to stay in miami to wait for the flight for aruba. so i consider that one trip. we didn't come back to atlanta and leave. we flew down to miami. we got on a cruise ship. we spent a couple days with his mom. we came back to miami. when we came back to miami, that day or the next day, we flew to aruba. we spent a few days in aruba and came back. that was one trip. even though we went two places, it was one trip. >> so let's talk about the california trip. is that when you were moving your daughter to california? did you have two trips to california? >> my daughter doesn't list in california. >> did she ever live --

>> i'm not discussing the location of my child. >> how many times did you go with mr. wade to california? >> once. >> you stayed in napa valley and he paid for the plain tickets and the hotel? >> the plane tickets and the hotel. >> what did you pay for on that trip? >> i gave him much less cash that time. probably 400 or $500. i paid for a bunch of stuff. i think we did two different wine tours that you do, which are pretty expensive. i think i bought him -- he likes wine. i don't really like wine. i bought him a bottle of wine while we were there and the sippings that you do. i can't remember like four or five different places you go. i remember we went to this place that they do pairings. that was the most expensive thing that i think we did while we were there. so they would pair champagne, chocolate and caviar.

it was three. three different things. sweden, russia and someplace else. i'll make that up. that was the most expensive thing we did that trip. i paid for that. >> you paid cash? >> for us doing that? >> yeah. i think -- that trip did not cost me a lot of money. i might have took like $750 in cash. we weren't gone very long. >> i only asked if you paid in cash. i don't need to know the amounts. >> when i travel, i always pay cash. >> is the cash that you keep in your house or do you keep it at the condo you lived in? >> at that point, it wouldn't be at my house. i'm sorry if i was not clear. the money would be wherever i laid my head. so i wouldn't leave the money at the house. if i was unclear, no. money is going to be where i stay. >> how much did you pay for your trip to panama? >> to where? >> panama, i believe? >> i didn't go to panama. >> i may have the location wrong. >> i never went to panama.

mr. wade went to panama with his forget brother. >> he went with his frat brothers. tell me about -- i want to make sure. i have belize. you covered belize. you covered -- >> let me tell you our real trips. in october, we went with -- went on the cruise with his mom. we got back from the cruise with his mom and we went to aruba. i consider that one trip. second trip. you years eve, we went on a cruise to the bahamas. that's the second trip. want to make sure i get this right. third trip, 100% on me, he might have spent $200 on that entire trip. we went to belize. that was my trip. that was, you know, his 50th. and then napa valley, we went around may. i don't know the dates. seems to me like it was close to mother's day. >> those are the only trips? >> so the record is complete, i can remember one time driving

to -- where were we? south carolina. we met my sister for lunch with her man. >> when was that? >> i don't know. we didn't stay the night there. i guess people would consider that a trip if you drive somewhere and you come back. that was insane. it was like five hours to drive. we ate lunch and we drove back. i can remember driving to some little town in georgia. i don't know where i was. i had never been there before or after. some boat that you can get on to like a slave thing if that gives anyone any reference. we didn't do that. i remember doing that. i remember driving one time to charlotte. we had lunch with a very close girlfriends. again, we drove to charlotte, met my girlfriend for lunch and drove back. that's a trip. we didn't stay the night there. i just want to be complete in my testimony. we drove someplace, had lunch, drove back.

i don't remember another driving someplace distant for lunch and coming back to charlotte to see a girlfriend. to meet my sister in south carolina. we went by ourselves when i told you about that remote place in georgia. we could have driven someplace else and had lunch and came back. that's all that comes to recollection rights now. there could have been another place that we drove and had lunch. my security team was clear to me, i'm not to be out and about in atlanta without them. so for me to do something normal that a normal person would get to do, they weren't prosecuting this case, i got to drive four hours to do it. >> that's what i was going to ask you. your security detail, do they take you to an from your house? >> i haven't been able to enjoy my home. >> condo. i'm sorry. >> since march -- where you lay your head. do they take you to and from where you lay your head? >> 99% of the time.

>> would they take mr. wade to and from where you laid your head? >> never in the history of ever happened. okay? >> your security team has never tape him? >> from my house? that's a lie. >> i asked if they have taken him anywhere. >> i'm telling you that has never happened. >> your security team -- >> my security team has never taken mr. wade from anyplace where i have lived and brought him here. never. not once. not ever. >> have they ever taken the two of you together? >> to where? >> anywhere. >> we have left this building for -- gone to lunch. but i go to lunch so rarely that that is a very rare occasion. i'm sure -- let me be clear. it wouldn't just be mr. wade. so i'm sure my security team has taken me to lunn. probably been a time that i left here, 7:00, gone to get something to eat. and i don't know that they would have taken him or if he would have driven himself. but they have taken me to do that.

we're talking very few, very far in between. most days i don't eat lunch. when i do, it's because my assistant has heated up some bagged something and i eat through meetings and eat in my office. it's not a practice of mine to go to lunch. >> during the time period you were dating, would your security team take you two together >> no. >> never? >> if there was a lunch that occurred that i just described, if there was a meal that i just described, anything outside of that and it needs to be very clear, not often. once, twice. because i want to be overinclusive, i'm saying once or twice. i'm not certain that it happened. i'd rather be overinclusive with you. >> so your office objected to us getting delta records for flights that you may have taken -- >> objection. >> no, look. i object to you getting records. you've been intrusive in two people's personal lives. you're confused. you think i'm on trial.

these people are on trial for trying to steal an election. i'm not on trial no matter how hard you try to put me on trial. >> my question was, you have any -- >> i object to you getting any personal records of mine -- >> we're not dealing with privilege through a once. >> i'm not dealing with privilege. we had offered to put them in camera for the court to review. i want to know if she has any problem -- >> that's something to do with the witness. >> okay. you have to file as part of your job something called and income and financial disclosure report. >> that's correct. >> you filed two to date? is that right? >> two or three. i probably would have filed 21, 22. maybe i haven't filed 23 yet. isn't it dune in june -- >> april. you filed the first one april 15th, 2022. and your second one april 17, 2023.

does that sound familiar? >> i don't remember the dates. i hope you're telling the truth now. >> may i approach the witness? >> you may. >> i gave the state a copy. exhibits 20 and 21. take a look at those. >> yes. >> those are the ones that you filed? >> yes. this looks like me for sure. yes, ma'am. yes, ma'am. >> judge, we move to admit 20 and 21. >> you need to delineate which is one. >> 20 is 21: 2021 is didn't number 20. 2021, it accounts for the time period january 21, 2022 through december 1, 2022. >> all right. any objection to exhibits 20 and

21? >> nope. sorry. >> counsel? admitted without objection. >> when did your relationship with mr. wade end? >> our personal relationship ended in -- this year. let's be very clear. so we don't mix words. i don't want to mix words in here. mr. wade is my friend right now. mr. wade, i would say, has been my friend since 2020. i think he started out as like a mentor and professional colleague. he became my friend and somebody that i really respected. i feel very indebted to mr. wade for taking on the task of this job. he is certainly my friend and one of the people that i respect the most. so if you ask about a personal relationship, i consider myself to have a personal relationship with mr. wade right now. i consider myself to have a

personal relationship with anna cross. i considered myself to have a personal relationship with mr. abati. i consider myself to have a personal relationship with andrew evans -- >> let me clarify that. >> i have a -- >> a romantic -- >> i don't think what you're asking. >> when did your romantic relationship with mr. wade end? did it end. >> me and mr. wade -- we are good friends. my respect for him has grown over these seven weeks of attacks. we are very good friends. but for these attacks, it would have been a friendship that as life goes, he would have stopped having. i think that you have seen that we'll be friends till the day we die. >> can we just have an answer to the question? >> i can handle this. >> she asked when the personal relationship ended.

that's the question. >> sometimes in i'd say late summer of 2023. i don't believe me -- this is what you're asking about. this is the salaciousness of all of this. >> i'm asking about your romantic relationship. when you stopped dating. i'm asking. >> i think me and mr. wade -- he's a man. he probably would say june or july. i would say we had a tough conversation in august. so that many -- men end their relationships at the end of physical intimacy. women when the tough conversation place. >> where did he come to the -- i'm not sure condo or apartment. would he stay at that condo or visit you there? >> what condo, what apartment? >> so not your house. you classified one as house, one as condo. >> what you don't understand, because of this case, i have to

move. >> mrs. merchant, if you can ask a more precise question. >> mr. wade visit you at the place your laid your head. >> when? >> has he ever visited you -- >> let's be clear. you lied. let me tell you which you lied in. right here. you lied here -- >> your honor -- >> no, no, this is the truth. it is a lie. it is a lie. >> mrs. willis -- >> i think we're going to take five minutes. be back in five. >> martha: stunning testimony by fani willis. district attorney in georgia who has spear-headed this entire trump case that she has worked on all these months since the -- years since the 2020 election. but right now she is in the middle of a fight for hanging on to that case essentially because she has been accused of a personal relationship, a romantic relationship.

you've heard it defined quite a few ways with nathan wade who she hired as a special prosecutor that it was established earlier today, when nathan wade was on the stand that started prior to his being hired. then you heard him going through these different vacations that were taken, trying to sort of figure out where the money chain goes and whether or not they were essentially funneling the money that he was making after she hired him for the job to fuel their vacations. she was very adamant. she got on the stand. she said people have been lying about the entire situation. so with that, let's bring in matt whitaker, former acting attorney general under president trump. welcome back. this was stunning. most of us did not really expect fani willis to take the stand today. she came in with a head of steam. she was not happy. she said they were lying about her record and she wanted to set it straight. how do you think she did?

>> yeah, on the one hand, she's doing a fairly good job trying to tell her side of the story. and fairly consistent with mr. wade. the paying of cash. the problem is, you know, the judge it looks like is getting very frustrated. i noticed as they broke away, the counsel is going bake to chambers because the witness is not responding to the questions. while the judge is in fulton county and he's dealing with this fulton county d.a. and it's very sensitive for him, i'm certain, he needs the district attorney's office lawyers to control their witness and have her answer the questions. so that's lot -- as a trial lawyer myself, i'm watching this in the gamesmanship go on. you heard from mr. trump's lawyer who objected and saying essentially, judge, can you get this witness to answer the questions instead of going on thinks diatribes against the counsel for one of the defendants. it's very, very interesting, martha. >> martha: it's fascinating to

watch. this were times when it felt like the attorneys were not asking specific enough questions the sort of lead her through. which made me wonder if they were caught off guard, matt. seemed as though they didn't think it was likely she was going to take the stand. seemed as though they were shuffling through some questions to get through this with her as well. what did you think? >> well, so they had subpoenaed her. so she's technically their witness. she's obviously adverse to their case. so while she's not hostile, you saw that whole discussion about that. if the witness is hostile or adverse, then you can ask leading questions, yes, no questions. but the interesting thing, the way that d.a. willis is trying to answer these questions, she's trying to leave an opening. right? she's not allowing anyone to pin her down. she wants specific, which house, which transaction, which boat. i don't remember. it's a very interesting witness. while at the same time, you

know, this is why tv is fascinating in the courtroom. you know, we're all judging her credibility and her mannerisms and her posture and all of those things that you can only do if you can see live tv. >> martha: we're watching the judge. we'll dip back in the he's making comments here. you know, what about this money trail that goes back to federal dollars? you know, she's claiming look, i had several jobs over the years. i get paid from the state. i get paid -- i was paid in private practice prior to, this i like to keep any money in cash. are they going to have a hard time drawing point a to point b here? >> cash is very hard to follow. if she claims that she had this stash of cash at home that was six months worth of expenses, that could be in the tens of thousands of dollars. it's really going to be interesting -- makes actually mr. wade have a tax problem because that was undeclared

income, i'm guessing. but that may be the least of the worries of whatter that facing now, filing false filings in the court and the like. >> martha: i should be clare. this is a state prosecutor situation that we're watching here as we take a look at the video. k kerri kupac is standing by. what did you think of that testimony from fani willis? >> surprising she appeared. she was watching the hearing and didn't think that mr. wade was doing a good job and thought she needed to take care of business herself. she was pretty angry at first. she was calmed down since then. on the cash discussion, the thing i can't get past if you are paying each other back to avoid the appearance of impropriety, why do it with cash? it's not traceable. she keeps a lot of cash at her

house. she said she takes that cash with her when she travels. she takes all of her cash? these are surprising things that have come out during the testimony. >> martha: yeah, just to be clear, she's back on the stand now. this is a live shot here that we're watching. matt, what do you expect in terms of timeline here? you know, what will they do next? >> well, obviously the judge has a big ruling once the evidence that the people that made the motion has submitted. it's the disqualifier of the d.a., mr. wade or the entire office. it's quite a big decision to do. >> this being a room full of lawyers who have spend their lives in a courtroom. we all know what professionalism looks like and decorum looks like. and devoting ourselves to the rule of law and proper advocacy. i would urge everyone to keep

those principles in mind starting with the fact that we won't talk over each other. from there, we'll get through this. mrs. merchant. >> thank you, judge. how often did mr. wade visit you? at a place where you were living between 2019 and 2021. >> you want to start with the lie that he lived with me in south fulton in 2019? the home he's never been to? that's one lie you told in your document. >> judge, i didn't ask her about that. >> mrs. merchant, i want you to ask a very precise question. she's saying in answering that he did not live with her. why don't we break that up to smaller parts. >> ever. >> i didn't ask about living -- >> while we're talking about professionalism, she put in three different documents -- >> you'll have a full opportunity to respond. >> from 2019.

>> he's never been to south fulton. in 2019, i lived in south fulton. he has never been to my residence in 2019. ever. not once. >> in 2019, he's never been to your residence at anyplace? >> i lived in my home in south fulton. before i started getting the threats that were here, a house i paid for with my own sweat and tears. i'm no longer able to live there. in 2019, i did. in the two months of 2019 that i knew mr. wade, three months, the beginning october, all of november and all of december, mr. wade never came to my house in south fulton. let me help you out. i lived there in 2020. he never came to my house in 2020. let alone live with me as you put in these documents. in the first three months of 2021, when i could still enjoy my home, mr. wade never came to south fulton. it is certainly a lie that he lived with me.

>> so in 202 -- you said 2019. did mr. wade visit -- >> he's never been to my home in south fulton. 2020 is before i knew that a phone call would be made and i would have to abandon my home. as a result, he never visited, lived at, came to or has seen south fulton. >> you qualified that with your home in south fulton. >> that's where i lived in 2020. >> did he ever visit you at a place that you resided in 2020? >> okay. i don't understand. you have to give me that. if 2020 i lived in south fulton. the only place i lived. that's before i had to abandon my home, judge. at my home in south fulton -- he never came there. okay? if you don't come someplace, you can't live there. >> mrs. willis, i have to caution you. it's my first time i have to caution you. listen to the questions as asked.

if this happens again and again, i'm going to have no choice but to strike your testimony. need to break this down. mrs. merchant's question i believe is asking whether you lived anywhere other than south fulton. >> i did not live anywhere but south fulton, georgia in 2020. that is before i began my prosecution of this case. it was my plan to only live there. >> did mr. wade ever visit you at the condo that you leased from mrs. yearti? >> he visited that condo, yes. >> he did? >> yes. >> did he ever spend the night at that condo? >> no. >> just visited? >> yeah. he did visit for sure. >> did you ever go out to eat together other than the lunches you talked about during 2019 or 2020? >> i would think that we probably went to lunch.

wouldn't have been -- let me think. 2019. i'm going to say i don't know. i'm going to say we probably broke bread someplace in 2019. i don't remember it. it seems like we would have broke bread in 2019. i'm going to say yes, although i have no recollection. it seem to me like -- i go out to eat and drink with everyone. i'm going to say yes. >> outside of the vacations that we have already talked about, did you ever go out to dinner with mr. wade? >> i mentioned to you that -- >> i object. as to what time period. we're asking very vague questions. i thought we were treating the witness as hostile. we're no longer doing that. so we're going to go back and forth? we need to be more specific if we're going to treat her as hostile. >> it's not so much that you can elect between leading and open-earneded questions. i think we're still wondering about and we need to get back on track of focusing on the financial benefit or the

relationship. >> and my next question about if you did go out to dinner, who paid when you went out to didn'ter? >> he paid. i paid. >> you both paid? >> okay. let me be real clear. we didn't say oh, the bill is $102. you give $51. i'll give $51. i don't operate like that with my girlfriends or anyone. you call it the bill, i call it the bill. >> did you ever pay him through cash app? >> no. >> just cash? >> yes. we're talking about -- i'm very confused now. >> you have never given mr. wade money through cash app? >> no. >> the only money you have given him outside of a contract is cash? >> i didn't give him money in a contract. that was cute. i didn't give him money in a contract. what happened -- we're going to answer it since you said it. he worked. he worked more hours than he was paid. the county paid him for the work that he did. so don't be cute with me and yo