>>20525946LB

>>20525964LB

>>20525974LB

>>20525986LB

Merchant: They [Georgia district attorneys across the state, per her open records request] paid between forty and sixty dollars an hour, which tends to be about the going rate for appointed council.

[Willis authorized $250 per hour to Wade]

Merchant: I watched hundreds of Board of County Commissioners meetings, just to make sure that I wasn't missing anything; that she [Willis] never went and asked approval for these special prosecutors

Merchant: She [Willis] was awarded, for the end of 2021…she was awarded for September, until December 31st, seven hundred and eighty thousand dollars, and then the next year, not to exceed up to five million.

Merchant: I did open records based on this [hiring of new employees by district attorneys office in November and December 2021] asking who was hired, and the dates of hire, because I wanted to e able to track that, and that was denied.

Question: Who made that denial, the DA's office, or the county?

Merchant: The DA's office.

>>20526793

Question: So using this technique, that didn't obtain approval, and didn't have to follow the ethical guidelines of her own office, she [Willis] was able to pay him [Wade] seven hundred thousand dollars over two or three years?

Merchant: Yes.

Question: Way more than he would have made as an employee?

Merchant: Way more, and also, he is able to have a private practice, which is significant, because you're not able to have a private practice if you're an employee [as opposed to being a 'special prosecutor'].

>>20526793

Fani vists Kamala?

>>20526793

Merchant: I did open records to the probate court, to the superior court, and there was no oath of office filed [by Wade]…I wanted to see if he had taken an oath…and there wasn't one. So, once I learned that, I was like, 'Why are they not filing an oath. This is odd.' There's no public approval of these contracts, there's no oath of office filed. This is different. What's going on? We later found out that he had taken an oath, but nobody had filed it. And the law requires; there's a stature that requires you actually file it

>>20526793

Merchant: It's pinging from his house [Wade's cell phone], all the way to the condo [Willis'], at midnight, one am. And he calls her when he gets there. And then it goes silent for four or five hours, and then early in the morning hours, he starts pinging again, driving back, and then he texts her when he gets home.

Question: And this is before he gets hired in November of '21?

Merchant: Yes.

>>20527176

Good question. I also remember a different hearing within the past few months where it was mentioned some others not taking, or filing an oath of office. I just dont remember which.

>>20526793

Graphic displayed in hearing showing approximately twelve thousand interactions in 2021 between Wade and Willis. Two thousand, seventy-three voice calls, nine thousand, ninety-two text messages.

>>20526793

Question: So Wade calls Bradley's best friend, says, 'You better call Bradley. Remind him he's got attorney-client priveledge with me, and he better not spill the beans'?…tampering with witnesses?

Merchant: …it seemed like tampering.

Question: Did he interpret that as Miss Willis trying to intimidate him from revealing this affair?

Merchant: Or Mr. Wade. He took it as intimidation, yes.

>>20526793

Merchant: Prosecutors aren't allowed to publicly condemn an accused prior to trial, and she [Willis] made a speech at a church, and said this was racially motivated. Talked extensively about the clients being guilty…she's made a number of public statements condemning their guilt, which is not allowed.

Question: That's inappropriate conduct for a prosecutor?

Merchant: Very much so. And there's case law on that. There's Bar rules on that.

>>20526793

Question: So what are the consequences for an attorney to give sworn testimony that she [Willis] did…[if] your track call data, your other independent verifications are found to be truthful?

Merchant: It's a crime. It's a felony. You'd lose your license. It's perjury.

Question: Same for Wade?

Merchant:: Yes.

>>20526793

Question: I'm troubled about this 'Find The Votes' book. Are you saying that the prosecutor [Willis] has been discussing an ongoing prosecution, and her prosecutorial strategy, and indictment strategy, to authors of a book during the course of the prosecution?

Merchant: Yes.

Question: And that book is now come out?

Merchant: It is.

Question: Is that a violation of ethical obligations, in some way to be publicly discussing, just like the public statements you made about the guilt of the defendant?

Merchant: Yes, definitely. We allege that, and argue that as far as forensic misconduct. It's very surprising; shocking.