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Soon: Fulton County DA Fani Willis Testifies. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired February 15, 2024 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:01:52]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Just a stunning day, a stunning moment there in Fulton County, Georgia where they are in a brief recess as we await Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County to take the stand. Of course, she has, for years now, been going through the process of this case against former president, Trump, and now his 18 co-defendants, this sweeping RICO case having to do with election subversion in 2020. And now she is facing these questions, as well as we just heard Nathan Wade, one of the lead prosecutors on the case, facing questions as well. There are some conflicting bits of information, key bits of information, that are of considerable interest to the defendants in this case as they are trying, really, to use this to their advantage and they might very much be able to.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And let's put it into context, the implications here for this case could be huge. If the DA is dismissed, it may be hard to find another prosecutor that would want to take on such a complex, sprawling RICO case, not to mention one that is politically fraught. I mean, the DA has gotten threats to her life. So going up against those co-defendants, including the former president, some of the rhetoric that we've heard from him, it would not be an easy task for anyone to take on this case if Willis is dismissed.

So the entire case, potentially, is at play here. We have a star- studded panel of folks to discuss all the legal implications of Willis testifying.

Let's go to Laura Coates and talk about, specifically, what the defense team wants to probe here with the District Attorney. They were talking about the issue of reimbursement, the idea that was presented by Nathan Wade that Fani Willis gave him cash for trips that they took together, that he paid for with his business credit card as he was being paid by the DA, essentially by public funds to prosecute this case. So that's one aspect, the funds.

And then secondly, the timeline of the relationship, were they in a relationship, a romantic relationship, when she hired him, Laura?

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: Well, first of all, just notice how she wanted to get to that witness stand. She has been fighting this for a very long time and she wants to be now testifying about these matters. And here might be one of the reasons why, nothing has been established yet, say, one witness who may have had an ax to grind, who was a former employee who ended up resigning, who was given a choice to either resign or to actually be fired. They had that one person provide the testimony that this relationship started back in 2019. They did not provide more evidence or more testimony about the specifics of what interactions they saw.

Out of Nathan Wade, he did not concede the point that it had begun in a romantic relationship before he was actually hired. And he had a very important point of testimony where he talked about having multiple sources of income, one from his private law practice and the other from Fulton County or the state of Georgia.

And with the commingled funds, not necessarily establishing how the money was being distributed.

[15:05:05]

How does one have one pool of money, for example, and then say, it was this dollar or this 20 or this thousand or whatever amount it was that came from this discrete pool of finances to then do this. Why is all very important? Remember, we're not here for a gossip sake. We're not here to understand about their romance, whether it will survive or whether it's already in the rear view mirror. We're here because there is a motion to disqualify her for having allegedly financially gained or benefited from this relationship.

And so if they're able to establish that it is a direct financial benefit that rises to the level of a conflict of interest that will undermine Donald Trump or any of the co-defendants right to a fair trial or could - would lessen the likelihood they would have a fair trial, that's why we're here. This is a really important moment. And I know that former U.S. attorney, Michael Moore, is here as well. He was actually from Georgia and knows quite well the rules of the game when it comes to conflicts of interest in Georgia.

It's a very extraordinary moment and the question here is, has this, as stated, as provided in the evidence, does it rise to the level of a conflict such that she must - must be disqualified. So far, she is willing to testify on the hope that they don't think it's not - and by the way, I'm not entirely convinced, you guys, that the judge was going to make her testify. He was asking questions about what you would get from this witness that you haven't already gotten from Nathan Wade or anyone else and then she walked in and here she is again.

FANI WILLIS, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, FULTON COUNTY: Could you swear me, Your Honor?

SCOTT MCAFEE, FULTON COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE: (Inaudible) think that ...

WILLIS: Because - whomever would like to just ...

MCAFEE: We got a Deputy Scott (inaudible) let's go - wait a minute, let everyone get situated and then we'll go back on the record. WILLIS: Thank you. Sir, do you have like a tissue I can use?

MCAFEE: All right. We are back on the record. Deputy Scott, if you could swear in our next witness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) ...

WILLIS: I would and I do apologize, Anna (ph). (Inaudible) ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) ...

WILLIS: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay, state your first name ...

WILLIS: District ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... (inaudible) ...

WILLIS: District Attorney Fani, F-A-N-I, last name is Willis.

ASHLEIGH MERCHANT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR MIKE ROMAN: Ms. Willis, when - how did you know to come into the courtroom like that?

WILLIS: Because there were people I was pacing in my office ...

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: ... and I heard someone yell, his testimony is done. It only made sense to me that I would be your next witness. And I've been very anxious to have this conversation with you today. So I ran to the courtroom.

MERCHANT: So as soon as you heard that Mr. Wade was done testifying, that's when you just assumed you would be the next witness?

WILLIS: It only makes sense.

MERCHANT: Did you listen to any of the testimony?

WILLIS: I've been in my office pacing, ma'am.

MERCHANT: Did you listen to any of the arguments?

WILLIS: I did hear the arguments this morning, it's ridiculous to me that you lied on Monday and yet here we still are and I did listen to that argument.

MERCHANT: All right. So that was it, just the argument, no testimony.

WILLIS: Right, I listened to the argument this morning where Adam Abbate I thought, did an excellent job pointing out how dishonest you were with the court on Monday and I'm actually surprised that the hearing continued, but since it did, here I am.

MERCHANT: Great. So let's talk about - first, let's just talk about what you did in preparation for today. Did you meet with Mr. Wade at all? Once the motion was filed, did you meet with Mr. Wade and talk to him about the motion that I filed to disqualify you?

WILLIS: On January - this first January motion?

MERCHANT: Yes.

WILLIS: I don't know if you could say talked about, I probably had some choice words about some of the things that you said that were dishonest within this motion, so I don't know that it was a conversation. As you know, Mr. Wade is a Southern gentleman. Me, not so much.

MERCHANT: Okay. But my question was, did you have a conversation with him?

WILLIS: I didn't have a substantive conversation.

MERCHANT: You did not?

WILLIS: I read this motion, skimmed it more so and I've probably said some choice things to him about some of the lies that were told.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: And then printed in the media, because we used to be in a day and time where you had 60 minutes and people did stories and they verified information and you had this great reporting, but it seems today that a lawyer writes a lie and then it's printed for all of the world to see.

[15:10:03]

MERCHANT: Well, I just want to make sure that you answer the question I asked, though. So my question was ...

ADAM ABBATE: I'm going to object that's been (inaudible) ...

MCAFEE: Overruled, Mr. Abbate.

WILLIS: I told you what happened. I read the motion. I am sure I told him what my opinion of it is ...

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: ... and past that, we had no substantive conversation.

MERCHANT: You did not? Okay.

WILLIS: Is there something you didn't understand?

MERCHANT: No, I just wanted to make sure that ...

WILLIS: Okay.

MERCHANT: You did not have a meeting with him in the conference room to discuss the motion.

MCAFEE: All right. Next question, Ms. Merchant.

WILLIS: No, so in the conference room of my office, within this week, you produced some financial document. That financial document was given to me, something - and I'm not even sure who's given it to him, by me or Mr. Abbate gave it to me. And I think he showed me a document in our conference room. But as far as a substantive conversation, I would not have - I don't believe I've had any conversation with him that is substantive related to this.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: I have had conversations with him since you filed the motion, but they wouldn't be substantive to this. He sent me very nice sermons that have been done and so we've had conversations about - did you listen to that sermon, things of that nature. And I would say they were in relationship to this, because I think he did it to be kind.

MERCHANT: Okay. Let's start back in 2019.

WILLIS: Yep.

MERCHANT: So you and Mr. Wade met in October 2019 at a conference?

WILLIS: That is correct.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: And I think in one of your motions, you tried to implicate and slept with him at that conference, which I find to be extremely offensive. I stayed at that conference. Mr. Wade was my teacher. I did not meet him when he taught the class. I was standing outside talking to Lisa Reeves (ph), who was a judge, me and her were just having a conversation.

Mr. Wade walks up, I think they hug each other. They have some brief conversation. She introduces us ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your Honor, I'm going to object to that. We kind of thought that when you ask a question, you can answer the question, not a speech, so I object to the speech.

MERCHANT: I agree (inaudible) ...

WILLIS: (Inaudible) I'm able to explain my answers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe she's able to explain her answers.

MERCHANT: And that's ...

MCAFEE: That's - Ms. Merchant, that's okay. I can handle it. Ms. Willis, I'll ask you to just listen to the answer or, excuse me, the question and keep the answers confined to the question as best you can. I think you'll have more than enough ample opportunity on when the state is able to ask follow-ups. WILLIS: Well, it's highly offensive when someone lies on you and it's highly offensive when they try to implicate ...

MERCHANT: Judge ...

WILLIS: ... that you slept with somebody the first day you met with them and I take exception to it.

MCAFEE: All right. Well, Ms. Willis, she'll have the opportunity to explain all that when it's the state's turn to ask more open-ended questions.

MERCHANT: Yes.

MCAFEE: Ms. Merchant.

MERCHANT: Thank you, Judge.

So again, my question was, you all met at that conference, though, right?

WILLIS: We did, the meeting.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: He - as I stated, he taught the class. I did not actually meet him when he taught the class. I walked out of the class and I'm not sure if it was that exact class or we had went to lunch, but we were standing in the vestibule, like, outside of the class. Me and Judge Reeves (ph) were having a conversation. She had worked at a law firm I worked at back in 1996.

MERCHANT: We're getting way afar. I mean, I don't mind her explaining her answers, but I literally just asked if they met at that conference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's explaining how she met Mr. Wade, which was exactly the question asked by Ms. Merchant.

MERCHANT: It was ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These answers are more than appropriate.

MCAFEE: Ms. Merchant, if you want more concise answers, perhaps you could lead the witness.

MERCHANT: I will. Thank you, Judge.

Isn't it true that you met Mr. Wade in October 2019 at the judges' conference?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to object, we haven't gotten to the point where Ms. Willis should be treated as hostile (inaudible) ...

MCAFEE: I think we have ...

WILLIS: And I very much want to be here, so I'm not a hostile witness. I very much want to be here.

MCAFEE: Not so much that you're hostile, Ms. Willis. It'd be an adverse witness. Your interests are opposed to Ms. Merchant's.

MERCHANT: Thank you.

WILLIS: Ms. Merchant's interests are contrary to democracy, Your Honor, not to mine.

MCAFEE: All right. Let's proceed.

MERCHANT: Judge, I would just that we ...

MCAFEE: We can keep things moving.

MERCHANT: Thank you.

MCAFEE: Ms. Merchant, next question, please.

MERCHANT: Okay. So we've confirmed when you met. After that, isn't it true ...

WILLIS: No, I need to explain this and I think I get to explain my answers. When I met him, Judge Reeves (ph) introduced us. He handed me his business card. I'm unsure if I handed him my business card, but we exchanged information. He said, if you ever need any help, give me a call and he walked to the parking lot.

MERCHANT: So after that, you started dating shortly thereafter, correct?

WILLIS: It's a lie.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: That's one of your lies.

MERCHANT: Okay.

Do you know Robin Yeartie?

WILLIS: I know her as Robin Bryant. I knew her - so Robin did not go to my college. She went to the college of - I went to Howard University. She went to Morgan State. I met her through some people I knew. In college, we hung out a bit. Not much, because she was in Baltimore and I was in Washington, D.C., but we hung out a bit. After college, I lost contact with her. I probably didn't see Robin again until maybe seven or eight years ago, a chance meeting here in Atlanta, but we did not have a consistent relationship from when I left college and came to Emory Law School here in Atlanta.

[15:15:06]

But eight to 10 years ago, just by happenstance, I ran into her ...

MERCHANT: So ... WILLIS: ... because she was in Atlanta.

MERCHANT: ... you have been friends with Robin for 30-something years.

WILLIS: Did you hear my answer, madam?

MERCHANT: Yes, and I'm asking if you've been friends with her for 30- something years.

WILLIS: I've known her for 30-something years. We certainly hung out and partied together in college. She was from the D.C. area. She would come home, we'd party together. Wasn't close, but she was certainly in the girlfriends that partied together. And then, like I said, I ran into her about 10 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia.

MERCHANT: So ...

WILLIS: But we didn't talk throughout that time period. I didn't see her. I didn't even know where she was. When I ran into her, I was surprised she was in Atlanta. And so, yes, I have known her probably since 1990, 1991, but we have not maintained a consistent relationship that whole time.

MERCHANT: Okay. For the last 10 years or five, whatever you'd like to classify it as, have you been friends with her?

WILLIS: I have not spoken to Robin in over a year. I certainly do not consider her a friend now. I think that she - there's a saying, no good deed goes unpunished, and I think that she betrayed our friendship.

MERCHANT: So let's ...

WILLIS: (Inaudible) down the timeline now.

MERCHANT: So my questions are going to be from the time period of 2019 until she no longer was employed for you, the last time you all talked. So all of my next questions are just focused on that timeframe, okay?

WILLIS: Yes, ma'am.

MERCHANT: Up until she left your office.

WILLIS: Yes, ma'am.

MERCHANT: During 2019, you all were friends, correct?

WILLIS: Yes, we knew each other in 2019.

MERCHANT: During 2020, you all were friends, correct?

WILLIS: We were - we know - yes, we were friends during that time period.

MERCHANT: During 2021, you all were friends, correct? WILLIS: Yes.

MERCHANT: Okay, and such good friends that when you needed a place to stay, you asked her if you could take over her lease.

WILLIS: That's a lie. That's not ...

MERCHANT: You did not move into her apartment or her condo?

WILLIS: I did, but that's not - the way you characterize it is wrong.

MERCHANT: I asked if you asked if you could take over her lease.

WILLIS: I did not ask if I could take over her lease.

MERCHANT: Did you move into her apartment?

WILLIS: I moved into her condo in April of '21. The circumstances around that were that Robin met her husband. They wanted to move into another and separate place. She wanted to get rid of her condo. My father was living with me at the house, because of this case and because of my stance on gangs, my life was being threatened regularly. My father urged me to leave our home. At the same time, as luck would have it, Robin wanted to give up her lease because she wanted to move in with this new man she met who eventually became her husband.

And so as life circumstances worked, my dad was begging me to leave the house. He was afraid for me - afraid for his grandchildren. She wanted someone to take over her lease so that she didn't have to pay a fee or get abandoned and so I don't remember when, but probably March or April of '21, I moved in and take over her lease.

MERCHANT: And did you pay her or did you pay the leasing agent?

WILLIS: No, I don't even know who the leasing agent was. I paid her.

MERCHANT: You paid her. Did you pay her cash or did you use card?

WILLIS: There were some times that I would give her cash and then - but mostly I paid her via Cash App, that would be the most convenient thing. So I would not only give her, her rent, but then, like, when the utilities would come in, whatever the utility was, she might be like, I need 70 bucks, I need a hundred dollars, whatever it was and we never had a problem with money. Whatever she told me it was, I never asked to see a bill. I never questioned her. I just gave it to her.

MERCHANT: What percentage would you say you paid cash versus Cash App?

WILLIS: Oh, most of the - the vast majority was Cash App.

MERCHANT: Cash App.

WILLIS: I don't know what percentage, I'm not going to guess that, but the vast majority was Cash App. But there would be times she would say, this bill came in at 70 bucks, here goes 70 bucks. MERCHANT: Did you have a monthly rent amount that you paid her?

WILLIS: I can't remember. It was $1,400, $1,500, I can't remember what it was. And it would vary, which I don't understand to this day. But like I said, I never questioned her.

MERCHANT: When did you move out?

WILLIS: Whatever she said it was, that's what I paid.

MERCHANT: When did you move out?

WILLIS: I abruptly moved out in February, either late January or early February of '22.

MERCHANT: Of '22?

WILLIS: Yes, ma'am.

MERCHANT: February 2022, is that what you said?

WILLIS: January, February of '22.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: I believe it is January, but I paid her half the rent of February of '22 is what I remember. And, because I was offering to pay the whole rent, even though I didn't live there, I didn't think it was right and she - I didn't - I ended up just paying her half the rent.

MERCHANT: So that's after you moved out?

WILLIS: Yes, ma'am.

MERCHANT: You said you paid her half of that, okay.

And the time that you said you had to move out of your house because you were scared, did your dad stay there at your house?

WILLIS: I was - my father was concerned. Yes, we were both concerned.

MERCHANT: Okay. But he's - he remained there.

WILLIS: My father's 80 years old. He would have been 79. He was scared to death of COVID. You have to go back to when this was. My father's an older man.

[15:20:00]

I wanted him to move out. We had some discussions about him moving out and what he decided was the risk of COVID was more dangerous than the risk of the people that were threatening. Typical man, more worried about his daughter and his grandchildren than his own safety. You'll get to meet him and you'll understand he doesn't scare too easily.

MERCHANT: So your grandkids - his grandkids were living at the house as well at that time?

WILLIS: Well, I don't know how old your children are, but when you have adult children, they leave and they come back. They leave and they come back. So there have been periods of time that they're there, they come, they do whatever they want to do. Children do what children do. As long as their mother has a house, they'll come to it.

Unfortunately, now the threats because of this case have gotten so extreme. I just pay a mortgage and no one lives there.

MERCHANT: And that's what I was going to ask you. So when you moved out in - I think you said April 2021, you left your dad and your two kids at the house?

WILLIS: My dad and my two kids were not at the house.

MERCHANT: They were not? Okay. So they didn't still live at your house?

WILLIS: My youngest daughter certainly did not live there.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: My oldest daughter would come back and forth. I can't say month for month when she was there or when she was not there. I know that she has been there post me moving out. At this time, no one is at my house.

MERCHANT: Okay. So at some point after you moved out for the safety reasons, your - at least one of your children did come back to the house.

MCAFEE: Ms. Merchant, can we get to either the relationship or the financial benefit?

MERCHANT: Yes, sure. Yes.

So let's see - we were back at 2021. So you were still friends with Ms. Yeartie then. Were you also friends with Mr. Bradley?

WILLIS: I don't. I've never been friends with Mr. Bradley.

MERCHANT: You've never been friends with Mr. Bradley?

WILLIS: No, I don't consider us to be friends. I certainly - I don't dislike Mr. Bradley, but I don't consider us to be friends.

MERCHANT: Is he someone that you would have on your phone and you would message with?

WILLIS: I might have text messaged him.

MERCHANT: Okay. Would you text message him and Mr. Wade on the same conversations?

WILLIS: I don't recall doing that, but if it happened, it wouldn't surprise me.

MERCHANT: Okay, so that wouldn't surprise you ...

WILLIS: Mm-hm.

MERCHANT: ... the three of you. Okay. How frequently would you think that the three of you would have text (inaudible) ...

WILLIS: That's not very - I wouldn't think very often, but you're asking me to recall, I don't even know what time period you're asking me to recall, but I'm not going to speak to that because I just really don't know the answer to that and so I don't want to speculate as to how often that would happen, but it's not out of my practice to text two people on one text message. So if you told me that happened and showed it to me, it wouldn't surprise me, although I have no recollection of it.

MERCHANT: But there would be some record of it in your phone or the phone records would have some record of those texts.

WILLIS: Perhaps.

MERCHANT: You talk about - you said that sometimes you paid Ms. Yeartie cash.

WILLIS: I don't think that ...

MERCHANT: When you went ...

WILLIS: I'm sorry.

MERCHANT: It's all right. When you went on vacation with Mr. Wade, let's just go one by one. Let's start with the first one. What's the first time you went on vacation with Mr. Wade?

WILLIS: I think the first time we went on vacation was around April of '22. And it's - a vacation is a stretch, but I'm trying to be comprehensive. I recall April of '22. His birthday is March the 18th, so that would have been his 49th birthday. I took him to like Tennessee for the day. I think we went to a museum. I think we might've stayed the night. I'm not sure, but I mean, Tennessee is kind of hard to call a vacation, but I just am trying to be inclusive. And like I said, I don't think - I know it wasn't more than a day.

MERCHANT: You didn't spend the night?

WILLIS: I think that we did. That's what I'm telling you. I think that there's a possibility that we stayed that night in April of '22.

MERCHANT: Who paid for the hotel?

WILLIS: I think I did. It was his birthday.

MERCHANT: And would you have used a credit card?

WILLIS: Probably, maybe a debit ... KEILAR: All right. We are trying to re-establish the signal there. At a critical point in time as Fani Willis - all right, let's go right back to the courthouse.

WILLIS: It was right around then that ...

MERCHANT: April 2022?

WILLIS: Twenty-two, yes.

MERCHANT: 2022.

WILLIS: It was around there. I don't know, like - it's not like when you're in grade school and you send a little letter and it says, will you be my girlfriend and you check it. I don't know the day that we started seeing each other, but it was early 22 is my recollection.

MERCHANT: Okay, early '22. And you all went to Florida on vacation as well?

WILLIS: I don't recall going to Florida on vacation with him.

MERCHANT: You never went to Florida with Mr. Wade?

WILLIS: We went to - when we went to get on the cruise ship, we went to Miami ...

MERCHANT: Okay. That's the only time that you went to Florida with him?

WILLIS: I think we went to Miami and spent the night, that's my recollection.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: I think we spent one night so that we wouldn't miss the ship. That's my recollection of our (inaudible) ...

MERCHANT: Who paid for that hotel?

[15:25:06]

WILLIS: In Miami?

MERCHANT: Mm-hm.

WILLIS: I don't remember that.

MERCHANT: Okay. And how'd you get to Miami?

WILLIS: We would have flown.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: And we've done that - so that I'm clear - we've done that twice. I think one time we stayed, and I honestly can't tell you, did we stay when the ship left or did we stay when the ship came back. I also can't tell you, so there's two cruises out of Miami. There's one that's in that October time period that was with his mom and then there was another that was a New Year's Eve trip. I know I paid for the New Year's Eve trip because the tickets were $697 each. And I thought this is ridiculous that the tickets are $700 to go to Miami. But when you travel during New Year's Eve, they get you.

MERCHANT: So let's just back up and talk about the first time that you went to Florida with Mr. Wade. That was the time that you said you stayed in Miami at the hotel the first night?

WILLIS: That's the time I told you I am not sure, so I'm not sure of two things. So I want to make sure that my testimony is clear. I'm not sure if we stayed in Miami on the October trip. I'm not sure if we stayed in Miami on the December trip. I just can't remember that. And I also don't remember, so that the record is clear, I don't remember if the necessity was as we got on the ship or we got off the ship. But I do remember there was a night spent in Miami because either, whatever, I don't remember, but I think that there was a night spent in Miami.

MERCHANT: That cruise is the one that you took in October, right?

WILLIS: Ma'am, if you have something to refresh my recollection ...

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: ... I'm intentionally trying to not be difficult with you, but I don't want to make up something.

MERCHANT: Right.

WILLIS: I know that on one of those two trips, we stayed in Miami. I am not sure right now. You're asking me about ...

MERCHANT: Oh, I think - I'm sorry, you misunderstood. I wasn't asking you which - I was not asking you which night you stayed in Miami. I'm asking if you took a cruise in October 2022 with Mr. Wade.

WILLIS: Yes, and his mom.

MERCHANT: And his mother, that's what I was asking.

WILLIS: Yes.

MERCHANT: Is that the first time you met his mother?

WILLIS: Yes.

MERCHANT: It was on that cruise. And that was Royal Caribbean, I believe?

WILLIS: You tell - I honestly don't remember what ship. I know we've taken two cruises. I don't know what the ships were.

MERCHANT: But he paid for the flight and the cruise on Royal Caribbean that time.

WILLIS: So yes, he paid - he is the original one that does it. He has something called - Mr. Wade is a world traveler, I'm not as versed as him. He's been to six of the seven continents and so he has both a personal travel agent and he also has a cruise travel agent. I don't know anything about either of those kinds of travel agents.

So he is the one that would book the travel, but we need to be clear when we're talking about just because he booked it doesn't mean - like I don't consider him having taken me any place, let me just be honest. The only point that's ever taken somebody someplace is for his 50th birthday. I consider that I took him to Belize. And I took him to Belize because I don't want to discuss his personal business, but I'm happy Mr. Wade is still here with us and I did 50 big, very big.

MERCHANT: So still on that October Royal Caribbean cruise, even though he had a travel agent ...

WILLIS: Ma'am ...

MERCHANT: I'm sorry.

WILLIS: If you do me a favor, I don't know what cruise ship, what time. So if you'll help me and say October cruise with mama or the New Year's Eve trip with his sisters, I'll be able to ...

MERCHANT: No problem.

WILLIS: ... we can communicate. I just don't know what ship.

MERCHANT: October cruise with mama. That's what I'm talking about.

WILLIS: Yes.

MERCHANT: He paid for the cruise and the flights for that trip.

WILLIS: So he called his cruise agent and he booked that through them because he has a cruise agent.

MERCHANT: Right.

WILLIS: He also has a regular agent. I don't know the cruise agent's name.

MERCHANT: So I wasn't asking about his travel agent ...

WILLIS: Well ...

MERCHANT: ... I was just asking did (ph) he paid for those ...

WILLIS: But I'm trying to - he did not though.

MERCHANT: Okay.

WILLIS: Because the reason I consider that he did not is I gave him his money back, so ... MERCHANT: And I was about to ask that, but initially he paid for that.

WILLIS: Yes, he called his cruise agent. Like I think they have his card on record. They do whatever.

MERCHANT: Okay. So initially he paid for the cruise and the flight to Miami and the Royal Caribbean cruise.

WILLIS: And my understanding of that October cruise is like it was a package the lady did for him.

MERCHANT: Okay. So - and I'll get to the reimbursements and all that. I'm just trying to confirm, he paid for the flight and the cruise in October.

WILLIS: And I think that when you say things that way, I want this record to be ...

MERCHANT: Initially.

WILLIS: ... abundantly clear that he calls his travel agent. He calls his cruise agent. They do whatever he tells them. He's like on a first name basis with these people. They do it. And then he tells me how much it is and I give him the money back. I don't - just like you're asking me about the money with Robin, I don't do my friends like that.

So if you tell me it's a G, then you're going to get a thousand dollars. If you - whatever it is, I didn't ever make him produce receipts to me. Whatever he told me it was, I gave him the money back.

MERCHANT: Isn't it true that he paid for the cruise and the flight on his credit card? I'm not asking about reimbursement or after. He used his credit card to buy the cruise and buy the flight, correct?

[15:30:05]

WILLIS: I have no idea how he paid for it.

MERCHANT: Okay.