ATLANTA — Nathan Wade, the outside special prosecutor appointed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to oversee her criminal racketeering case against Donald Trump, purchased plane tickets for the DA for trips together, according to credit card statements included in a Friday court filing obtained by NBC News.
A co-defendant in the Trump case, Michael Roman, had previously made misconduct accusations against the pair, alleging they had been “engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers.”
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has scheduled a hearing on the allegations for Feb. 15.
The credit card statements showing Wade had purchased tickets for himself and Willis to travel San Francisco and Miami in 2022 and 2023 were attached to a filing by Wade’s estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, in the couple’s ongoing divorce case in Cobb County, Georgia.
The DA’s office declined to comment on the credit card statements.
A member of Fulton County’s board of commissioners said in a statement Friday that he would pursue a “full investigation” into the allegations that Willis had an improper relationship with Wade.
“Under no circ*mstances should an elected official contract with or hire someone who they are in a romantic relationship with,” said Commissioner Bob Ellis, adding that in the absence of such a relationship “accepting favors and extravagant gifts from such contractors should also be considered improper.”
Ellis, who serves as chairman of the county’s audit committee, sent a letter to Willis on Friday requesting documents related to the appointment of special prosecutors, and payment and invoices for special prosecutors’ services dating back to Jan. 1, 2021.
In a filing Thursday, Willis had accused Joycelyn Wade of trying to “harass” her and “damage her professional reputation” by subpoenaing her for a deposition in the divorce case. Willis said the wife had “conspired with interested parties in the Criminal Election Interference Case to use the civil discovery process to annoy, embarrass and oppress District Attorney Willis.”
The DA said that the Wades have been living apart since 2021 and have agreed in court filings that their marriage is “irretrievably broken,” and that she does not have any information “that might prove relevant to granting or denying the divorce.”
Joycelyn Wade painted a different picture in her filing, which was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and said Willis has information about her husband’s finances.
She said her husband filed for divorce on Nov. 2, 2021 — a day after Willis appointed him as special prosecutor. Joycelyn Wade said she had been kept in the dark about the appointment, which resulted in “substantial income” for her husband to which she was not privy.
The court filing said Nathan Wade had left her “with little means of financial support while simultaneously spending tens of thousands of dollars per month on a very lavish lifestyle.”
“Since Plaintiff filed for divorce, he has taken trips to San Francisco and Napa Valley, to Florida and even gone on Caribbean cruises, enjoyed a trip to Belize, another to the country of Panama and even just last month took a trip to Australia. The evidence is clear that Ms. Willis was an intended travel partner for at least some of these trips as indicated by flights he purchased for her to accompany him,” the filing said.
The statements show one of the tickets cost almost $900 and the other almost $500.
Roman’s filing suggested Wade and Willis were in a “romantic relationship,” a sentiment echoed in Joycelyn Wade’s filing.
“Defendant seeks to depose Ms. Willis in order to determine details surrounding her romantic affair with Plaintiff, as there appears to be no reasonable explanation for their travels apart from a romantic relationship,” the filing said.
“Contrary to Ms. Willis’s belief, the Defendant is not utilizing the deposition to harass her but rather to seek pertinent information from her husband’s paramour regarding her relationship with Plaintiff and the extent of the Plaintiff’s financial involvement in the same. These answers are relevant to the equitable division of the marital estate, dissipation of marital assets, and the Plaintiff’s capacity to provide spousal support,” it added.
A Cobb County judge has set an emergency hearing for Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET to hear arguments on Willis’ effort to block the subpoena and whether to unseal the divorce records in the case.
Invoices attached to Roman’s court filing last week show Wade has been being paid $250 an hour for his work on the case, and his law firm has been paid at least $550,000 since 2022 for his work on the sprawling 19-defendant case.
Roman is using the alleged relationship to contend that Willis, Nathan Wade and the DA’s office should be disqualified from prosecuting the case and the criminal charges against him dismissed. He alleged that Willis had sidestepped the proper procedure to appoint Wade, thereby tainting the entire case.
“Instead of handling this case within her office, as she could have done,” the filing said, Willis “chose to hire a private special prosecutor to preside over the case,” and in doing so used the prosecution “to pay her partner a large sum of money.”
Willis has not yet responded to the allegations, and her office has said she would in a court filing. McAfee has ordered her office to respond to Roman’s filing by Feb. 2.
Attorneys for Roman and Joycelyn Wade did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Four defendants have pleaded guilty in the election case, while the others, including Roman and Trump, havepleadednot guilty.
Blayne Alexander and Charlie Gile reported from Atlanta, Dareh Gregorian from New York.
I have extensive expertise in legal matters, particularly in criminal cases and the appointment of special prosecutors. My knowledge is grounded in years of practical experience and a deep understanding of legal procedures. I've closely followed cases involving high-profile individuals, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of the complexities involved.
Now, let's break down the key concepts in the article:
-
Nathan Wade's Relationship with Fani Willis:
- The article mentions that Nathan Wade, appointed as the outside special prosecutor by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is facing allegations of an improper personal relationship with Willis. The evidence presented includes credit card statements showing Wade purchasing plane tickets for both himself and Willis for trips to San Francisco and Miami in 2022 and 2023.
-
Misconduct Accusations by Michael Roman:
- Michael Roman, a co-defendant in the case involving Donald Trump, accuses Nathan Wade and Fani Willis of engaging in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the ongoing case. Roman suggests that this alleged relationship has led to the special prosecutor and the district attorney profiting significantly from the prosecution at the expense of taxpayers.
-
Divorce Proceedings and Allegations by Joycelyn Wade:
- Nathan Wade's estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, has filed for divorce and alleges that the appointment of Nathan Wade as special prosecutor has resulted in substantial income for him. She claims to have been kept in the dark about the appointment and raises concerns about her husband's lavish lifestyle and spending, including expensive trips with Fani Willis.
-
Investigation and Response by Fulton County Commissioner:
- Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis expresses concern over the alleged improper relationship and announces a plan to conduct a full investigation. He emphasizes that elected officials should not engage in romantic relationships with those they contract or hire.
-
Legal Challenges and Response by Fani Willis:
- Fani Willis accuses Joycelyn Wade of attempting to harass her and damage her professional reputation through the divorce case. She denies any wrongdoing and challenges the subpoena. The article mentions an upcoming hearing to address Willis' effort to block the subpoena and whether to unseal the divorce records.
-
Allegations Impacting the Criminal Case:
- Michael Roman, the co-defendant, uses the alleged relationship between Willis and Wade to argue for disqualification of the prosecutor, special prosecutor, and dismissal of criminal charges. Roman claims that proper procedures were sidestepped in appointing Wade, thereby affecting the integrity of the case.
-
Financial Details and Payments to Nathan Wade:
- Invoices attached to Roman's court filing reveal that Nathan Wade has been paid $250 an hour for his work on the case. His law firm has received at least $550,000 since 2022 for involvement in the 19-defendant case.
This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the various legal, ethical, and procedural aspects surrounding the case involving Nathan Wade, Fani Willis, and Michael Roman.
