Evening Report — Fani Willis takes the stand

by Amee LaTour - 02/15/24 5:18 PM ET

Evening Report

A defiant Willis takes stand amid disqualification effort

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), the prosecutor leading the election subversion case in Georgia against former President Trump and several co-defendants, herself took the stand Thursday as a judge weighs whether she’ll be disqualified from the case.

Background: Defendants claim Willis hired romantic partner Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor and benefited financially from his employment, rendering the indictment “fatally defective.”

Some highlights: Willis maintained Thursday that her relationship with Wade began in 2022, after his employment. That was consistent with Wade’s testimony earlier in the day.

A former friend of Willis’s testified earlier in the day that the relationship began in 2019. Willis said this person is someone she partied with in college and that she no longer considers them a friend.

Wade also testified that Willis split the cost of trips they took together, paying him back in cash.

In her testimony, Willis said, “Nobody gives me anything; I am sure that the source of the money has always been the work, sweat and tears.”

In New York: A judge on Thursday set the trial date for the hush money case against Trump for March 25.

Follow The Hill’s live blog for updates here.

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

CATCH UP QUICK

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) sat down with The Hill’s Alexander Bolton for an interview discussing Ukraine, Russia, former President Trump and more.
Fox News’s John Roberts will host a town hall with GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. Former President Trump has a town hall with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham airing at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 20.
Special prosecutor Robert Hur will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on March 12 about his decision not to recommend charges against President Biden over his handling of classified records.

NEW THIS AFTERNOON

House recesses, Ukraine alternatives float

House leadership canceled Friday’s votes, sending the chamber into recess early. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said the House won’t vote on the Senate’s $95 billion package including aid to Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific and more. But some lawmakers are scheming alternatives to get aid through after they return on Feb. 28.

One option: A discharge petition, which would require a majority of members to bypass Johnson and bring a bill to the floor for a vote. The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell detail the challenges that tactic faces here.
Another option: A fresh bill, reincorporating some border policy reforms that were stripped from the Senate package. Moderate Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Don Bacon (Neb.) are kicking around a $60 billion proposal that excludes funds the Senate package contains for humanitarian efforts and calls for a smaller amount of aid to Ukraine.

security

Kirby stresses no immediate safety threat from Russian ‘anti-satellite’ capability pursuit

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday that Russia’s pursuit of an anti-satellite capability is “troubling” but that there’s no immediate threat to safety.

Kirby’s comments come a day after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) publicized his request that the Biden administration declassify information concerning a national security threat.

Related: In a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) requested an inquiry into Turner, accusing Turner of “poor judgment at a minimum and a complete breach of trust influenced by the pursuit of a political agenda at the maximum.”

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IN OTHER NEWS

Biden hosting Polish leaders on NATO membership anniversary

President Biden will host Polish leaders at the White House next month, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Poland joining NATO. The announcement comes as the White House, and GOP presidential primary contender Nikki Haley, criticize former President Trump for suggesting he wouldn’t protect a NATO ally who hadn’t spent enough on defense.

Hogan leads or ties potential Democratic Senate challengers: Poll

An Emerson College Polling/The Hill/DC News Now survey found former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) either leading or tied with two potential Democratic challengers for the state’s Senate seat. Hogan announced his bid last Friday.

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

“Justice meets victory ahead of Paris 2024”

“The next round of the ESG fight should start in Congress, not in court”

⏲️ COUNTDOWN

9 days until South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary.

12 days until Michigan’s Democratic and Republican presidential primaries.

🗓 COMING NEXT

Friday: President Biden travels to East Palestine, Ohio, near where a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in February of last year.