Some posters on here thought she did great and that this is a witch hunt and there is nothing to see.
Some people either only watched a biased highlight real or was focused on her attitude rather than the actual content of her defense.
A lot of people selectively see an anger as a sign of guilt- or at least selectively depending on their desired outcome (ex. Previously mentioned Kavenough vs Willis). Anger should not be an assumed indicator of guilt. Even if Willis is 100% truthful and innocent of the accusations of impropriety, I believe she did herself no favors by allowing her anger to into being disrespectful and rude, not only to the opposing counsel but the judge. When a defense becomes ad hominem attacks, that starts to look like a possible of indicator of lying. The alternating strong, no one f’ with me attitude flipping to I’m just a victim indicates deception. The inability to answer questions directly, especially trailing off into minute details of irreverent unasked info is another. I find the biggest red flag for manipulation in her case is the constant debating of semantics and obfuscating with semantics (clearly precise definition can and do matter in legal matters, but again I’m talking about asinine topics).
I think it’s very implausible anyone keeps 6 months of living expenses I cash under their mattress. With a reported $110k salary I’d estimate that’d be a target minimum of 20-$25k. But even if we assume she indeed kept many thousands of cash on hand, how is it possible to have zero record of where this money came from- no bank records, no receipts… illegal activity seems like the only other reasonable source. To compound the implausibility, Wade has also no financial records of accepting all this cash. Let’s also not forget Willis as a DA must account for gifts over $100, especially by someone she’s contracted. You think she’d be extra cautious to document her money flow, esp reimbursement.
Idk Huntn, my wife and I make considerably more than Fanni and have $1800 in a safe from a belayed wedding gift we never deposited. Both our parents are comfortably millionaires (I say that only to highlight the juxtaposition)- I know my parents keep $2500 in their safe. Her parents said they only keep cash in their wallets.
I’ve laughed about this a lot with people recently and have yet to hear of anyone who keeps more than 2-3k. The only person I know anecdotally was my grandfather who died in 2003. He was double digit millionaire thanks to real estate. He apparently had $10k in cash in his underwear drawer + elsewhere a bunch of non-currency ie precious metals, stones… he also died with 19 bank accounts- he grew up in Germany’s Great Depression/post WW1/pre-FDIC backed bank account era and survived Nazi concentration camps while nearly all his family were murdered incl parents- post war immigrating to America with nothing. Like many survivors w/the long history of Jewish prosecution, such trauma instilled a semi-paranoid need to be prepared for the worst. I would assume there was some record of cash withdrawals from at least 1 of the 19 bank accounts
It’s not at abnormal to have $20-30k+ for emergencies in a
bank account. A
bank account that’s
insured and pays
interest. Mattresses last I checked are not FDIC backed and pay 0% interest. $1-2-3k in cash at home for a crisis is entirely reasonable. $5k doesn’t seem crazy considering inflation. But $10-20-30k at home, in cash, with zero record of bank withdrawals or payment, all while she has a
$5k lien against her. (The only remotely independent ”evidence” being some CA vineyard operator who somehow recalls she paid him $200-300 cash…)
BTW, she claimed she takes these many thousands with her (”wherever I lay my head at night”). She and Wade traveled extensively. Large amounts of cash must be
declared at customs… and is a big red flag for security that I’m sure is an extra hassle. Such amounts can be legally seized quite easily. Some countries have limits for travelers. Carrying this much cash abroad is at best risky, at worst dangerous. The two went to Belize for example- beautiful place but very high crime rates and corruption problems. Like Mexico. Curious- Did Willis declare all this cash in her extensive travels? Or did she fail to report it (a crime). Surely customs has records.
BTW: Belize limits travelers to bringing $5,000 USD into the country. Just another detail not adding up.
Anyways- more recent case developments. don’t give a ton of credence to cell phone location data, I think its value is highly dependent on the circumstances. Here it seems like it may have some merit, but is the weakest of evidence. Ironic for Willis to call the data too unreliable to be admissible- I’m curious if she’s ever prosecuted someone such evidence. The amount of communication between their phones however does seem excessive for people not in a relationship. Wade claims the logs are totally incorrect. Great defense.
It seems like Wade’s friend & former lawyer has knowledge that could be very damaging, thus such efforts to avoid the stand. It seems ridiculous that everything he knows is protected by attorney-client privilege.
Assuming they exist, texts between Wade and Willis would likely reveal what relationship they had. If they turned over access, this could probably be resolved very quickly.
My main point if you wish to skip my commentary on the case + evidence
I’m sorry, but if you think Willis is was effective on the stand I have a bridge to sell you. I happen to think this is the most significant and legitimate case against Trump and one of the most consequential not only for Trump, but the country.
This is why I find this whole situation so infuriating. There is clearly at the very least the optics of a significant conflict, at worst a serious conflict and corruption that blows this case apart- potentially never to be re-prosecuted.
The fact people are defending Willis, who is clearly being dishonest and deceptive, is absurd. Just because people hate Trump and Willis is a foil to him does not mean she’s worth defending at all costs. The problems should have been identified long ago and these two removed. She is replaceable, though now too late to get things at moving before the election.
Instead, the attention is now all on them. They probably wanted the fame and attention that comes with prosecuting Trump (esp if they were successful) in the first place. And very likely the fortune too- not just the alleged payment scheme- frankly insignificant to benefits to come later. It’s becoming more and more clear they put themselves before the ethical responsibilities they hold presumably for their own benefit, all while lying themselves and destroying the credibility of their office.
This is perjury. This is corruption. This is narcissism. The same things they accuse Trump of (and rightfully so). I’m
sure someone will say “but it’s on a much smaller scale than Trump”- sure, maybe? Maybe not when you consider the implications of their actions.
@Huntn if you’re speaking to her legal performance as a prosecutor- I don’t have much to say either way. I know nothing about her beyond her recent situation. Given the current circumstances her judgement seems concerning. ignoring that, besides indicting Trump there’s not much I’m aware of to rate her performance. She seems like a tough cookie though.
Yeah, it’s a damn shame this happened (and it is), but let’s not pretend if Willis was Jack Smith she’d be treated any different by the Trump sycophants. What evidence do you have of financial impropriety besides the fact they possibly f*****d? Because the best argument I heard was that they paid in cash, which is neither a crime nor that uncommon with high profile or well off black people.
Prove the financial fraud, prove they’re lying. The attorneys were not prepared, didn’t have any contradictory evidence, their star witness fumbles (kind of a pattern with Republican star witnesses), and the best you’ve got so far is that it’s suspicious they paid in cash.
Hey, you’re partially correct; if they’re lying on the stand or in other sworn or binding statements, no excuse and they may not only lose the case and their jobs, but their livelihood. It’s far more easy to believe - based on nothing but the evidence - they hooked up and there is no broader conspiracy.
I’m not going to defend that decision, but I’m also not going to trash it. You said it yourself - people probably knew. Did they stay silent out of fear? Coercion? Were they in on a conspiracy? Or maybe the rules aren’t clear or strictly forbidden, so nobody cared.
After spending more than two hours tasting wine at a Napa Valley estate with her top prosecutor on the Georgia election subversion case, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis reached into her purse and pulled out about $400 in cash.
amp.cnn.com
Maybe this company I never heard of until today was in on it. This is clearly a pro-Willis commercial meant to spread propaganda to back up her claims.
Lastly, even if Willis is removed (and based on the hearings, I see no reason to believe that she will), it doesn’t absolve Trump.
What’s amazing to me is how you’ve managed to connect all these dots to solve the Willis controversy, yet the best you’ve got for Trump is “eh, I think the threat to democracy is overblown.”
Not quite a witch hunt, but a desperate Hail Mary by a guy in deep shit and his lawyers.
Do I wish it happened this way? No. I’m not entirely sure if the rules are clear on whether this type of relationship is allowed. If there is a rule or law, point to it. If they’re embezzling or this was a financial pursuit, prove it. If not, then prove the harm to Trump’s legal team. I’ve hear nothing to help these claims. The defense callled these people to the stand and their argument was basically “Come on, you pay cash? What are you hiding!”
That’s not a good argument.
If they would just highlight themselves more and Trump less, we’d probably have a good bipartisan message of racial equality.
