It was the first day of testimony by prosecutor Fannie Willis in the Trump case in Georgia for an affair that threatens her future.

Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis took the stand Thursday and vigorously defended herself against what she described as “lies” about her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor during an extraordinary hearing. The allegations of misconduct threaten one of the four criminal cases against Donald Trump.

A visibly upset Willis initially struggled not to take the stand, but later agreed to testify after the witness said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade began earlier than she said.

Testimony from Robin Yerty, a friend of the Georgia prosecutor, directly contradicts Willis’ assertion that her relationship with Wade did not begin after Wade was assigned to the anti-Trump case. While Wade, who testified after Yerty, said his relationship with Willis began in early 2022.

“You think I’m on trial? These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial,” Willis told defense attorney Ashley Merchant.

At another point, Willis said: “Commercial interests are antithetical to democracy.”

Willis is expected to return to the witness stand Friday to continue answering questions.

Cross-examination of Willis and Wade by the defense showed the role that has changed in recent months.

Now, prosecutors who had promised to hold Trump accountable for election meddling are under public scrutiny with revelations about his personal life diverting attention from Trump’s own behavior as he seeks to recapture the White House.

Since allegations of an improper relationship surfaced last month in a motion filed by another defendant in the case, Michael Roman, the former president has tried to use them to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Willis’ arguments.

Other Republicans have called for an investigation of Willis, a Democrat who is up for re-election this year.

“There’s nothing secret about living a private life,” Wade said. “Nothing”.

At the trial, Judge Scott McAfee pushed to tone down the drama in the courtroom and focus legal arguments on the lawyers, who repeatedly insisted on asking personal questions of Wade and Willis.

Defense attorneys pressed Wade to answer uncomfortable questions about his relationship with Willis, over objections from the prosecution.

During personal and uncomfortable testimony that spanned hours, Wade also admitted to having sexual relations with Willis while he was separated from his wife, even though he said in the divorce suit that this did not happen.

That admission and Yerty’s testimony together threaten to undermine the credibility of prosecutors as they prepare for trial in a case accusing Trump and others of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

If Willis is disqualified, a board in Georgia will find a new prosecutor to take the charges against Trump and 14 others and drop the case entirely.

The removal of Willis in the largest of the four criminal cases against Trump would be a scandalous development.

It would also represent an additional delay and reduce the possibility of a trial being held before the November elections, in which Trump will be the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

In another hearing in New York, the judge confirmed that the criminal trial in which Trump is accused of paying money in exchange for silence will begin on the scheduled date of March 25.