Atlanta, GA – Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing explosive allegations of misconduct, with new documents revealing a personal relationship between Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. These allegations have emerged in the midst of Wade’s divorce proceedings, where his estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, is seeking a deposition from Willis. The documents submitted by Joycelyn’s attorneys include bank records that show Wade and Willis taking vacations together during the investigation into Georgia’s election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and other defendants.
There are records of Wade purchasing plane tickets for both himself and Willis to travel to San Francisco, although other travel expenses do not specifically mention Willis. When approached for comment on the newly filed court documents, Willis’ spokesperson declined to comment. However, Willis publicly defended her appointment of Wade to the high-profile case, stating that she appointed three special counsels and paid them all the same hourly rate.
In response to the allegations, Willis filed an emergency motion for a protective order, requesting to avoid testifying in a deposition. She argued that the marriage between Wade and Joycelyn is irretrievably broken and that her testimony would be irrelevant to the divorce proceedings. Willis also stated that the deposition is outside the scope of the pending divorce action and discovery.
The compensation of the special prosecutors involved in the Trump case has also come into question. Employment contracts obtained by FOX 5 reveal that Wade and another prosecutor, Anna Cross, were paid $250 per hour. However, renowned RICO expert John Floyd was compensated at a lower rate of $150 per hour in one contract and $200 per hour in a subsequent term.
Opinions on Wade’s selection as a special prosecutor vary. While former DeKalb County District Attorney J.Tom Morgan believes it is difficult to compare compensation due to the historic nature of the case, former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter questions Wade’s qualifications. However, Porter stated that as long as there were no kickbacks to Willis, the actions between Willis and Wade would be considered uncouth rather than criminal.
The superior court judge overseeing the election interference case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants has scheduled an evidentiary hearing to address the allegations of an improper relationship between Willis and Wade. The hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 15, and Willis has been ordered to file a written response to the accusations by Feb. 2.