Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis is attempting to avoid testifying in the divorce proceedings of her alleged lover and employee, the Washington Examiner reported. Willis is currently prosecuting former President Donald Trump's election interference case.
Willis allegedly engaged in an affair with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor from her office who was on the payroll in Trump's case. The pair allegedly took luxury vacations together while Wade collected $654,000 in payments from the county in the last year.
The divorce proceedings between Nathan Wade and his wife, Jocelyn Wade, allegedly show proof of an affair between the two attorneys. Willis has been subpoenaed to testify in their divorce case on Jan. 23 but filed a motion to quash it Thursday.
This alleged affair was publicly exposed after the attorney for Michael Roman, a co-defendant in the election interference case, revealed the divorce and Willis' alleged role in it. The Trump nemesis claims she "lacks personal knowledge of any matter that is relevant" to excuse her from testifying.
Willis's attorney, Cinque Axam, further argued that her testimony would be irrelevant given the Wades' "irretrievably broken" marriage at this point. "It is well-established that when both parties in a divorce proceeding assert that a marriage is irretrievably broken, which is a legal conclusion signifying that there is no hope for reconciliation, there is no genuine issue of fact that remains to be decided concerning the divorce," the attorney explained in the filing.
Her legal team is also alleging that attorneys for Jocelyn Wade have "conspired" with people on Trump's side "to annoy, embarrass, and oppress" her. However, Andrea Dyer Hastings, who is representing Jocelyn Wade, said they are ready to dispute that in court.
Meanwhile, Roman's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, encouraged Willis to clear her name. "Ms. Willis alleges that her deposition is being sought in an attempt to harass and damage her professional reputation. Why would her truthful testimony risk damaging her reputation?"
The defense team for Roman, who is one of 14 co-defendants in the case with Trump, has further asserted that Willis is not qualified to prosecute this case. His attorneys contend that her decision to employ Nathan Wade was improper and was not properly authorized.
Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding in Trump's case, set a hearing date of Feb. 15 to examine the issue with Willis. She, in turn, has until Feb. 2 to respond to them formally.
Meanwhile, the Wades' divorce proceedings, which are currently sealed, are set to be considered for unsealing on Jan. 31. The only defense Willis has mounted is that she's being targeted because of her race, Fox News reported.
Speaking at the Big Bethel AME Church on Sunday in Atlanta, Willis didn't name Nathan Wade but insinuated questions about his appointment and their relationship are because they're Black. "They only attacked one," she claimed.
"First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.' But no, God, isn’t it them playing the race card when they only question one?" Willis said.
This is an absurd claim, given the evidence that there was an improper relationship with someone she appointed to prosecute Trump's case. Willis simply can't be taken seriously if Jocelyn Wade's assertions are true.
The only way to clear this matter up would be for Willis to testify and for the divorce proceedings to become public. Anything short of that will fuel more speculation and undermine the credibility of her office.
