Meet Fani Willis: from prosecuting Trump to her love life in the spotlight, Fulton County, Georgia’s first female DA is a woman who doesn’t fear The Donald and prefers Grey Goose vodka to wine

Apr 2 , 2024

From launching a probe into Donald Trump’s conduct during the 2020 presidential election, to nearly being pulled from said Georgia election case for a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she appointed, Fulton County’s first female DA is a woman who doesn’t fear The Donald and says she prefers Grey Goose vodka to wine. Photo: Getty Images

Fani Willis’ first day in office as Fulton County district attorney saw her handling the news that Donald Trump had allegedly asked then Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to ‘find 11,780 votes’

Willis launched her probe into Trump just a month later, but was threatened with being pulled from the case when details emerged of her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she appointed, Nathan Wade

She is Fulton County, Georgia’s first female district attorney, and as she stepped into her role in 2021, her life changed when Donald Trump asked then Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him “find 11,780 votes”, in an effort to overturn the US election results. The next day, the call was leaked to the media, and on her first day in office, Willis walked into a case that would dominate her life for the next few years. From taking on Trump to details about her private life being made public, meet the woman who isn’t afraid to take on the powerful.

The Trump Georgia election case

Donald Trump departing a press conference about his hush-money trial, in New York City, earlier this month. The former US president is accused of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Photo: EPA-EFE

It was just one month after Trump’s call to Raffensperger that Willis began her probe into the Georgia election case, per the BBC.

The case against Trump and 14 co-defendants by Willis claims a conspiracy to commit election fraud after Trump failed to win Georgia during the 2020 US presidential election. In a leaked audio conversation with Raffensperger, Trump urged him to “find” enough votes to enable him to overturn the result for the state. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump said.

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis, pictured in September 2021. Photo: Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

It has been a bumpy road for Willis and her investigators. Some of the charges against Trump and his co-defendants have been dismissed, Trump has said the case is politically motivated, and the revelation of a romantic relationship between Willis and a special prosecutor threatened to force her removal from the case.

Fani Willis’ romance with Nathan Wade

Willis’ personal life came under the spotlight after a court challenge focusing on her relationship with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor she appointed.

Trump and his co-defendants used the relationship to try to have Willis disqualified from prosecuting the case on the basis of conflict of interest.