Fulton DA Fani Willis’ ex-husband says their daughter suffered because of disqualification hearings

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ ex-husband says their daughter suffered some unintended and unfair consequences because of the hearings to disqualify her mother from the election interference case.

Fred Willis spoke exclusively to Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne about why the hearings surrounding two public officials should not have become a family affair.

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“Some of the things that were said were very disparaging toward my daughter,” Fred Willis said.

Fred Willis says he considers his daughter’s reputation collateral damage in the controversy surrounding the DA’s romantic relationship with now-former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

He says Fani Willis was a young prosecutor when they divorced 19 years ago, but they remain on cordial terms when it comes to their two daughters.

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Some of the testimony in the hearings meant to disqualify Fani Willis from the case against former President Donald Trump and others centered around when one of their daughters allegedly “flunked out of FAMU and moved to Cali[fornia].”

“She did not flunk out of school. She left school when COVID hit and went back home. Then she took some classes in metro and ended up transferring to Texas Southern University, where she just graduated with a 3.3. And she is, on her way to law school now,” Fred Willis described.

Ashleigh Merchant, the defense attorney who filed the motion to have Fani Willis removed, says she was fighting for her client and doing her job.

“This is my job. It’s it’s not personal at all,” Merchant said.

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