Nathan Wade, the former special counsel appointed to prosecute former President Donald Trump in Georgia, told the U.S. House Judiciary committee he’s had “minimal contact” with the office District Attorney Fani Willis, but police cameras recorded the attorney joining the district attorney during a traffic stop where her daughter was arrested.
In his opening remarks during his October 15 deposition, Wade told the committee he has, “had minimum contact with the Office of the District Attorney of Fulton County,” since he resigned after Judge Scott McAfee issued a “distasteful dicta” that required he or Willis to resign from the case against Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election results in Georgia.
McAfee’s ruling came after the existence of a romantic relationship between Willis and Wade was revealed by defense attorneys in the Trump case, who argued questions about when the romantic relationship began, combined with the $650,000 paid to Wade for his work in Fulton County, and the luxurious vacations he purchased for the couple using his company credit card, created an appearance of impropriety that should have resulted Willis’ disqualification from the case.
Both Wade and Willis separately testified before McAfee that their relationship began after he was appointed to serve the district attorney, and claimed their romance concluded in the summer of 2023, more than six months prior to its discovery by defense attorneys.
This did not stop Wade from appearing with Willis when the district attorney’s daughter was arrested for driving on a suspended license.
Police body camera footage, first obtained by The Daily Mail, revealed Willis expressed surprise to officers as Wade stood next to her with his arms crossed.
Wade eventually asked one of the officers why Willis’ daughter was initially stopped, and in video posted to the social media platform X, the officer explained the vehicle being registered to an owner with a suspended license allowed police to verify the vehicle was not being driven by its owner.
BREAKING: Fani Willis shows up on the side of the road with her "ex" *Nathan Wade* after her daughter was arrested for a suspended license.
You literally can't make this up.
New bodycam footage shows Willis with Wade, a man who she claimed she was no longer in a relationship… pic.twitter.com/L3xpkvQfGw
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 4, 2024
Also in the deposition, Wade explained the circumstances that led to accusations he was dodging a subpoena issued by Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), revealing he was both “nursing” an ankle injury, and under the influence of prescription medications while preparing for court for a client, and did not notice when a U.S. Marshall attempted to serve the subpoena at his personal home.
Wade also confirmed multiple trips to Washington, D.C., his attendance at multiple meetings with the White House, calls or meetings with individuals associated with the House select committee that investigated January 6, and that he began preparing to prosecute Trump in Willis’ office before she formally entered office.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nathan Wade” by Wade & Campbell. Photo “Fani Willis” by Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
