The plot thickened Friday regarding allegations that Fulton County Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis – who brought RICO charges against former President Donald Trump – had an affair with the prosecutor who led the election fraud case.
According to USA Today, there was a court filing made in the divorce case for that prosecutor, Nathan Wade. His estranged wife, Jocelyn Wade, claimed that he bought airline tickets in his name and Willis’ for trips to San Francisco, Calif., and Miami, Fla. in 2022 and 2023.
Willis appointed Wade to lead the 2020 election interference case against Trump. He was a private lawyer at the time, per CBS News.
“Wade’s reputation as a lawyer in Georgia presents a mixed picture because there is no doubt that his resume is thin when it comes to criminal law,” said the outlet. “He had no experience trying complex felony cases, let alone a multi-defendant racketeering prosecution like the one he is now in charge of.”
POLITICO also noted that “Wade’s role in Willis’ prosecution has raised eyebrows amid a closer look at the special prosecutor’s thin resume in complex criminal cases.”
Allegations about Willis and Wade first came to light in a legal motion filed on behalf of Michael Roman, one of Trump’s 14 co-defendants in the Fulton County case. Roman is the director of the Trump campaign’s 2020 Election Day operations and the motion alleged that Willis and Wade had an “improper, clandestine personal relationship,” while she paid him more than $650,000 to work on the case. Additionally, the motion alleged that some of the money was used for Caribbean cruises as well as trips to Florida and Napa Valley.
Roman wants Willis to be dismissed from the case entirely. CBS noted that the “motion provided no concrete proof of the allegations.”
However, the new information from the divorce filing does appear to strengthen the accusations of an affair.
“The new court filing, which includes what it says are Nathan Wade’s credit card statements, appears to bolster at least some of the bombshell allegations,” said USA Today. Per the outlet, spokespeople for Willis and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office did not return emails seeking comment Friday. Previously, the office said she plans to address the allegations in a formal court response.
Willis did mention Wade last Sunday when she spoke at a historically Black church in Atlanta, Ga., according to CBS. She gave him a “full-throated defense” the outlet said. In a 2020 interview, Willis said it would be inappropriate to date staff.
USA Today also reported that Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee – the judge in the election fraud case – gave Willis until Feb. 2 to respond to the allegations. He also scheduled a Feb. 15 hearing to hear from her about Roman’s accusations. It is likely to be televised, said the report.