In court documents on February 2, the Georgia district attorney who filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and the special prosecutor she designated disclosed a personal connection. In 2021, Democratic Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis named Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor to help with her investigation of President Trump.
In one of the documents, Mr. Wade said, "I had no personal contact with District Attorney Willis before or at the time of my appointment as special prosecutor." "In addition to our friendship and professional affiliation, District Attorney Willis and I built a personal bond in 2022."
In prior testimony, Mr. Wade's divorced wife provided the court with proof that Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis had taken many vacations together, including a flight to California in 2023 and several cruises.
The wife's lawyer, who subsequently consented to a settlement, said that "there seems to be no rational explanation for their trips outside than a love connection."
In other instances, Ms. Willis purchased tickets for them both, according to Mr. Wade, who acknowledged purchasing airline tickets for both of them.
"As financially independent professionals, the district attorney and I split the costs of our personal travel almost evenly," Mr. Wade said in an affidavit.
In a document, Ms. Willis said that her appointment of Mr. Wade was the only time she and him had a working connection.
Later on, she admitted that a personal bond had developed.
She said in the lawsuit, "To be completely clear, District Attorney Willis has never received any direct or indirect financial gain from the personal connection between special prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Wade."
This includes not living together in the same home or having joint bank accounts.
According to the petition, "neither is financially dependent on the other; both are professionals with sufficient income."
One of the co-defendants of President Trump, Michael Roman, is one of the people who have filed a motion to disqualify Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis for what he called conflicts of interest.
Mr. Roman said in a document on January 8 that Ms. Willis had concealed her connection with Mr. Wade and the advantage she derived from it.
His attorneys filed a motion stating, "During the pendency of this case, the district attorney and the special prosecutor were involved in an improper, clandestine personal relationship, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers."
"The district attorney's appointment created an impermissible and irreparable conflict of interest under Georgia's Rules of Professional Conduct, which requires the disqualification of both lawyers and their respective offices and firms, given the district attorney's personal relationship to the special prosecutor prior to his appointment as the special prosecutor," they later added.
The motion claimed that while the funds for the case were initially allocated to clear a backlog that accrued during the COVID-19 outbreak, Mr. Wade—whom Ms. Willis personally selected—was the recipient of the funds.
As of early 2022, Mr. Wade had earned $653,880 from Ms. Willis's office, according to official government documents.
Additionally, according to Mr. Roman, open records requests revealed that Ms. Willis nominated Mr. Wade without getting the necessary consent from the county.
Ms. Wills and Mr. Wade "have been seen in private together in and around the Atlanta region," according to the motion, which also accused the couple of having lived together at one time.
Mr. Roman faced charges in the case of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) against President Trump and other individuals due to their acts during the 2020 election.
A second co-defendant, Robert Cheeley, together with President Trump then requested that the court remove Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis from office.
The defendants "attempt to cobble together entirely unremarkable circumstances of special prosecutor Wade's appointment with completely irrelevant allegations about his personal family life into a manufactured conflict of interest on the part of the district attorney," according to Ms. Willis, who filed a new brief opposing the motions.
She added that Mr. Wade was really working on the matter for less than market rate and that there is no evidence to substantiate charges of a financial conflict of interest for him or for her.
The county also presented Mr. Wade's affidavit. It said that whereas he used to make $550 per hour, he now barely makes $250.
"The state has submitted the Special Prosecutor Wade's Affidavit and other documents that explicitly show facts that refute the irrational and irresponsible supposition that the petitioners have presented, in an attempt to be as open and honest with the court as possible. It is important to remember that this attempt does not imply consent that this extreme degree of privacy invasion is acceptable or that it will happen again, according to Ms. Willis. "With the facts in the record, there is no need for more factual development in order to reject the motions in their entirety. The legal foundation for each of these moves to remove the district attorney from office falls dreadfully short of what would be required under the relevant standards."
The new move was filed in advance of the motions to disqualify hearing on February 15th, after Mr. Roman's subpoena for testimony from Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade.
In one of the documents, Mr. Wade said, "I had no personal contact with District Attorney Willis before or at the time of my appointment as special prosecutor." "In addition to our friendship and professional affiliation, District Attorney Willis and I built a personal bond in 2022."
In prior testimony, Mr. Wade's divorced wife provided the court with proof that Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis had taken many vacations together, including a flight to California in 2023 and several cruises.
The wife's lawyer, who subsequently consented to a settlement, said that "there seems to be no rational explanation for their trips outside than a love connection."
In other instances, Ms. Willis purchased tickets for them both, according to Mr. Wade, who acknowledged purchasing airline tickets for both of them.
"As financially independent professionals, the district attorney and I split the costs of our personal travel almost evenly," Mr. Wade said in an affidavit.
In a document, Ms. Willis said that her appointment of Mr. Wade was the only time she and him had a working connection.
Later on, she admitted that a personal bond had developed.
She said in the lawsuit, "To be completely clear, District Attorney Willis has never received any direct or indirect financial gain from the personal connection between special prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Wade."
This includes not living together in the same home or having joint bank accounts.
According to the petition, "neither is financially dependent on the other; both are professionals with sufficient income."
One of the co-defendants of President Trump, Michael Roman, is one of the people who have filed a motion to disqualify Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis for what he called conflicts of interest.
Mr. Roman said in a document on January 8 that Ms. Willis had concealed her connection with Mr. Wade and the advantage she derived from it.
His attorneys filed a motion stating, "During the pendency of this case, the district attorney and the special prosecutor were involved in an improper, clandestine personal relationship, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers."
"The district attorney's appointment created an impermissible and irreparable conflict of interest under Georgia's Rules of Professional Conduct, which requires the disqualification of both lawyers and their respective offices and firms, given the district attorney's personal relationship to the special prosecutor prior to his appointment as the special prosecutor," they later added.
The motion claimed that while the funds for the case were initially allocated to clear a backlog that accrued during the COVID-19 outbreak, Mr. Wade—whom Ms. Willis personally selected—was the recipient of the funds.
As of early 2022, Mr. Wade had earned $653,880 from Ms. Willis's office, according to official government documents.
Additionally, according to Mr. Roman, open records requests revealed that Ms. Willis nominated Mr. Wade without getting the necessary consent from the county.
Ms. Wills and Mr. Wade "have been seen in private together in and around the Atlanta region," according to the motion, which also accused the couple of having lived together at one time.
Mr. Roman faced charges in the case of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) against President Trump and other individuals due to their acts during the 2020 election.
A second co-defendant, Robert Cheeley, together with President Trump then requested that the court remove Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis from office.
The defendants "attempt to cobble together entirely unremarkable circumstances of special prosecutor Wade's appointment with completely irrelevant allegations about his personal family life into a manufactured conflict of interest on the part of the district attorney," according to Ms. Willis, who filed a new brief opposing the motions.
She added that Mr. Wade was really working on the matter for less than market rate and that there is no evidence to substantiate charges of a financial conflict of interest for him or for her.
The county also presented Mr. Wade's affidavit. It said that whereas he used to make $550 per hour, he now barely makes $250.
"The state has submitted the Special Prosecutor Wade's Affidavit and other documents that explicitly show facts that refute the irrational and irresponsible supposition that the petitioners have presented, in an attempt to be as open and honest with the court as possible. It is important to remember that this attempt does not imply consent that this extreme degree of privacy invasion is acceptable or that it will happen again, according to Ms. Willis. "With the facts in the record, there is no need for more factual development in order to reject the motions in their entirety. The legal foundation for each of these moves to remove the district attorney from office falls dreadfully short of what would be required under the relevant standards."
The new move was filed in advance of the motions to disqualify hearing on February 15th, after Mr. Roman's subpoena for testimony from Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade.
