Former President Donald Trump has requested new evidence in his Georgia election interference case. The evidence is based on cellphone records belonging to Fulton County prosecutor Nathan Wade, which allegedly show that Wade visited the home of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis multiple times in 2021. This new filing comes after an evidentiary hearing to disqualify Willis and Wade from the case, during which both individuals testified that their romantic relationship did not begin until after Wade was officially hired in November 2021.
Trump and his co-defendant Michael Roman, along with several others, are seeking Willis’ disqualification from the case on the grounds that she financially benefited from her relationship with Wade. However, Willis and Wade argue that their relationship does not constitute a conflict of interest and that it never involved any financial gain for Willis. Willis testified that she paid Wade back in cash for any trips they took, which were often booked on his credit card.
According to Trump’s filing, the cellphone records also reveal thousands of calls and text messages exchanged between Wade and Willis in 2021. The records also indicate that Wade’s phone connected to towers near Willis’ home in Hapeville, Georgia, on at least 35 occasions.
The evidence is based on an affidavit from a criminal investigator named Charles Mittelstadt, who analyzed Wade’s subpoenaed AT&T phone records from January to November 2021. Mittelstadt claims to have found over 2,000 calls and nearly 12,000 text messages between Wade and Willis during that time period. He also analyzed the geolocation activity of Wade’s phone, which allegedly showed that Wade’s phone was stationary near Willis’ home on multiple occasions.
The Fulton County district attorney’s office is preparing a response to Trump’s filing. During the evidentiary hearing, Wade denied allegations that he frequently visited Willis’ home before November 2021. However, Mittelstadt’s affidavit claims that there is evidence of Wade going to Willis’ address in the middle of the night in September 2021.
Trump’s attorney has stated that Mittelstadt is available to testify in court if needed. Mittelstadt used a tool called CellHawk to analyze the phone data, which is considered the gold standard in cellphone records analytics by law enforcement.
In a separate development, Wade is seeking to block the judge from questioning his former law partner and attorney, Terrence Bradley, behind closed doors. Wade argues that this private examination may unlawfully compel Bradley to disclose information protected by attorney-client privilege. Judge Scott McAfee has expressed concerns about Bradley’s interpretation of privilege and has stated that he may need to examine Bradley privately.
Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August to charges related to alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Several defendants, including Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, have taken plea deals in exchange for testifying against other defendants.
The case continues to unfold, with new evidence being presented that could potentially impact the outcome. The relationship between Wade and Willis is at the center of the controversy, as Trump and his co-defendants argue that it constitutes a conflict of interest. As the legal proceedings progress, it remains to be seen how this evidence will be evaluated and what impact it will have on the case.
