Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis confirmed a personal relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor in the case against former President Donald Trump. [Source]
This development, disclosed in a court filing last Friday, comes amid accusations from Trump’s camp that Willis improperly benefited financially from her association with Wade.
Willis and Wade found themselves at the heart of a contentious dispute after a co-defendant of Trump suggested that the relationship was inappropriately leveraged for financial benefits, citing vacations funded by Wade’s earnings from his role.
Fani Willis, in a robust 176-page defense, refuted claims that her relationship with Wade compromised the case’s integrity or resulted in any financial gain for her.
“While the allegations raised in the various motions are salacious and garnered the media attention they were designed to obtain, none provide this Court with any basis upon which to order the relief they seek,” Willis stated in the filing, urging the judge to dismiss the motion without a hearing scheduled for February 15.
Steve Sadow, representing Trump, criticized Willis for lacking transparency and failing to address the timing of Wade’s divorce, which coincided with his employment by the DA’s office.
“While the DA admits to an intimate relationship with her employee Special Asst. DA Wade, she fails to provide full transparency and necessary financial details,” Sadow commented, highlighting the scrutiny over the DA’s disclosures.
Wade, in his affidavit, clarified that their relationship evolved in 2022, well after his appointment, and emphasized that personal travel expenses were shared equally, attempting to dispel notions of financial impropriety. [Source]
However, the DA’s office’s defense did not quell the controversy. Documents revealed Wade’s purchase of airline tickets for Willis and significant payments to a cruise line, raising questions about the financial dynamics of their relationship.
Willis’s filing included minimal evidence to counter these claims, offering only a single receipt for a flight purchased by Willis for Wade, while bank statements revealed more extensive financial interactions.
The case against Trump, which accuses him and 18 others of attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, has been marred by these personal allegations.
Willis defended Wade’s qualifications and billing practices, who was compensated at a higher rate than other specialists in the field, according to documents from Wade’s divorce court case. This has led to further scrutiny over the fairness and transparency of the prosecution’s operations. [Source]
Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney for co-defendant Roman, and Trump’s legal team have called for transparency and a thorough examination of Willis’s conduct.