Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of Atlanta publicly acknowledged her romantic involvement with special prosecutor Nathan Wade on Friday. However, she emphatically declared that she will not recuse herself from the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump and 14 others.
In a court filing, Willis stated, “To be absolutely clear, the personal relationship between Special Prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Willis has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis.” She did not confirm whether the relationship was ongoing.
Facing a motion from former Trump campaign official Michael Roman to have her, Wade, and the entire district attorney’s office removed from the case, Willis urged Superior Court Scott McAfee to dismiss it summarily. She also sought to cancel a scheduled Feb. 15 hearing on the matter.
Wade, too, denied any conflict of interest and clarified that the personal relationship developed in 2022, after Willis hired him to oversee the election interference case.
Willis, known for charging Trump and others over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, faces allegations of impropriety due to her relationship with Wade. Roman, who accused Wade of misusing funds for trips, joined by Trump, seeks the disqualification of the district attorney’s office from the case.
Responding to Willis’s filing, Roman insisted the Feb. 15 hearing must proceed, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. Willis criticized Roman for relying on “supposition and innuendo” and argued that the allegations lacked a legal basis for disqualification.
While acknowledging the romantic relationship with Wade, Willis asserted that it commenced after hiring him in November 2021, and she disputed its impact on the prosecution. Willis even suggested that defense lawyers in the election case also had personal relationships.
Legal experts, including former Obama White House ethics czar Norm Eisen, indicated that Willis and Wade’s actions didn’t violate Georgia election law or legal ethics. However, critics argue that Willis should step away from the case to avoid jeopardizing the prosecution.
Despite these developments, Willis remains firm in her position, defending her choice of Wade for the job and emphasizing his qualifications and experience. The controversy surrounding their relationship continues to cast a shadow over the election fraud case.
“Both individuals are financially independent professionals,” stated Willis in her court filing on Friday. While this marked the first time she detailed their personal relationship, Willis has consistently defended Nathan Wade and her choice in appointing him for the job.
In an emotional speech at an Atlanta church last month, delivered six days after the allegations initially surfaced, Willis passionately expressed her support for Wade, saying, “The Black man I chose has been a judge for more than 10 years, run a private practice for over 20, represented businesses in civil litigation – I ain’t done y’all. Served as a prosecutor, a criminal defense lawyer, special assistant attorney general.”
“The District Attorney and I are both self-sufficient professionals in terms of finances, and expenses for personal travel were approximately divided equally between us,” Wade stated.
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Prosecuting a former president: a ‘unique professional challenge’ Wade mentioned that he initially joined the case in Spring 2021 to assist Willis and others in finding a “competent, trustworthy attorney to manage and lead” the Trump investigation. He personally had no interest, citing lower compensation than his usual rates and concerns related to “violent rhetoric” and potential safety issues.
In October 2021, after further contemplation of the unique professional challenges presented by the case, Wade accepted the offer to lead it.
No Trump trial date set
As of now, the trial for the case has not been scheduled. Judge McAfee, presiding over Fulton County Superior Court, had given Willis until Friday, Feb. 2, to respond to the accusations.
McAfee has also set a Feb. 15 hearing for both parties to present evidence concerning the Willis-Wade relationship.
Roman’s defense lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, has issued subpoenas to Willis and Wade as potential witnesses for public testimony during that hearing to ascertain if they have financially benefited from their personal and professional association.
It was not immediately clear on Friday how Willis’s formal response would impact their appearance.
Merchant was not available for comment after Willis’s filing on Friday. However, in an earlier interview with USA TODAY, she stated, “We look forward to litigating our case in court on the 15th. We expect and hope she will not attempt to avoid testifying as to these important issues.”
Wade paid $550 an hour in controversial jail probe In his affidavit, Wade also confirmed that he was paid $550 an hour for a previous government job, explicitly referring to his leadership of a controversial investigation into suspicious deaths at the Cobb County jail just outside Atlanta in 2020.
As reported by USA TODAY on Thursday, Wade’s investigation, which did not result in a public report or disclose investigative details, has raised concerns among some lawyers and critics who view it as a negative reflection on him and on Willis for hiring him shortly after its conclusion.
“The fact that he apparently had no written records of his investigation and produced no written report − it seems to me if I were in a position of retaining a lawyer for something of such importance as this current case that it would certainly give me pause,” Cunningham said on Thursday.