Closing summary
We’re closing the US politics blog now after what was an extraordinary day, on two fronts, in the various legal cases against Donald Trump.
In Georgia, the Fulton county district attorney Fani Willis gave testimony in a fiery first day of a misconduct hearing that could see her removed from the election interference case against the former president. “I’m not on trial here,” she insisted in one of many angry exchanges over her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Willis tussled with Trump lawyer Steve Sadow over the “tough conversation” she had with Nathan Wade ending their relationship and, crucially, when it occurred. Telling Sadow “you don’t have to yell at me,” Willis said their relationship was over before she indicted Trump last August.
Willis insisted she paid Wade back for money he spent on two cruises and other trips he took with her in 2022 and early 2023.
Willis accused Ashleigh Merchant, a lawyer for another Trump co-defendant, of telling lies about her in another heated exchange.
Wade also took the stand, confirming their relationship ended last summer.
Robin Yeartie, a former friend of Willis who worked in her office, testified the relationship began before Wade was hired.
In New York, a judge set a 25 March start date for Trump’s trial on charges he made illegal hush-money payments to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, and Playboy model Karen McDougal.
The two stories dominated the day.
Also today:
The White House confirmed it was monitoring a “troubling” Russian anti-satellite weapon.
US regulators cleared the way for Trump’s Truth Social internet platform to merge with with the private Digital World company.
Join us again tomorrow, when we’ll have more from the second day of the Fani Willis misconduct hearing.
Updated
Willis misconduct hearing concludes for the day
A fiery first day of the misconduct case against Fani Willis, in which a judge will decide if the Fulton county district attorney will be disqualified from prosecuting the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump, has just wrapped up for the day.
The final exchange was Harry MacDougald, lawyer for Trump co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, asking Willis about any financial gifts above $100 she received from Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired for the case, and with whom she had a romantic relationship.
Willis says she never received any, other than him paying for dinner. She says she reimbursed him for everything, and pushed back when McDougald said there was nothing to prove she had withdrawn any cash to do so.
“That’s not accurate,” Willis replied.
It was a tamer exchange than those that preceded it. In one particularly hostile moment, Willis accused an attorney of repeatedly lying about her, and in another furiously exclaimed: “I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”
Judge McAfee has told all parties to reconvene at 9am ET on Friday. It’s been quite a day.
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