Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing accusations of concealing her relationship with a prosecutor involved in the Donald Trump election-interference case. The allegations came to light through court filings submitted by lawyer Michael Roman, who claimed that Willis had not been forthright about the timeline of her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Roman, a former White House aide to Trump, is among the 17 individuals charged in Willis’ RICO probe. He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts in the Georgia case, while Trump himself, the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary race, has pleaded not guilty to 13 charges brought forth by Willis. Trump has consistently labeled the case as a politically motivated witch hunt aimed at preventing him from winning the November election.
Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, has previously accused Willis of having an “improper, clandestine personal relationship” with Wade, even alleging that they went on holidays together while working on the case. While Willis admitted to a personal relationship with Wade in recent court filings, she maintained that it began only after the case against Trump had commenced.
Wade, in a recent affidavit, also stated that his relationship with Willis did not start until 2022. Willis has denied that this relationship constitutes a conflict of interest or that it would impact the outcome of her investigation into election interference.
Merchant now asserts that the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade began much earlier than Wade’s appointment to the Trump investigation in November 2021. Terrence Bradley, Wade’s former law partner, allegedly possesses “non-privileged, personal” knowledge that the relationship had already begun before Willis took office in January 2021. The court documents argue that since Willis and Wade were not transparent about their relationship initially, there is no reason to believe they are telling the truth now.
Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal attorney, who is also charged under Willis’ probe, described these recent filings as “bombshell” claims against the district attorney on social media. Furthermore, Merchant dismissed concerns that any information from Bradley would be protected under attorney-client privilege, asserting that Bradley obtained this information in a personal capacity as Wade’s friend before Wade’s decision to file for divorce.
The court filings also allege that Willis and Wade have “enriched themselves” through their collaboration on the case, including taking trips to the Bahamas and Belize. The documents claim that Willis has financially benefited from her association with Wade, with substantial amounts of money being paid to him, resulting in vacations, hotel stays, and other personal benefits unrelated to the case or her official duties as a prosecutor.
These new allegations have caused a stir in the ongoing investigation into election interference. As the legal proceedings unfold, the integrity of the case and those involved will undoubtedly be closely scrutinized. The outcome of this situation could have significant implications for both Fani Willis and the broader Trump election-interference case.
