In the latest twist to the drama surrounding misconduct allegations against Fani Willis, the Georgia district attorney accused the estranged wife of a special prosecutor she hired of “obstructing and interfering” with her election-interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.
A Trump aide’s defense attorney previously accused Willis of having an “improper” relationship with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor she hired to lead the case. Lawyers for Wade’s estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, subpoenaed the Fulton County D.A. last week, seeking to question her in the couple’s divorce proceedings.
In a court filing, Willis’ lawyers slammed the subpoena as “an attempt to harass and damage” the D.A.’s professional reputation and impede the criminal proceedings Willis is leading against Trump. The D.A.’s lawyer wrote that as the Wades have been separated for more than two years and are involved in “an uncontested no-fault divorce,” there is no relevant basis to question Willis in their divorce proceedings.
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The filing also accuses Joycelyn Wade of “conspiring” with interested parties in the Trump case to “use the civil discovery process to annoy, embarrass, and oppress” Willis. In response, Joycelyn Wade’s lawyer rejected Willis’ accusation and referred to the D.A. as Nathan Wade’s “paramour.”
Willis was served with the subpoena by Joycelyn Wade’s lawyers on the same day that Ashleigh Merchant, a defense attorney for former Trump aide Michael Roman, filed a motion accusing Willis of engaging in an improper relationship with Nathan Wade, to both of their professional and financial gain.
“Ms. Willis alleges that her deposition is being sought in an attempt to harass and damage her professional reputation,” Merchant wrote to the Associated Press on Thursday. “Why would her truthful testimony risk damaging her reputation?”
Merchant did not provide any evidence to support her claim. But on Friday, bank statements filed in Wade’s divorce case revealed that he purchased plane tickets for himself and Willis. The travel receipts show a planned trip for both lawyers to Miami on Oct. 28, 2022, although Willis’ destination alone was altered to Aruba. Wade also purchased a ticket to Miami for his mother with the same arrival date, as well as two Royal Caribbean cruise tickets. It is unclear whether the tickets were meant for Wade and his mother or for Wade and Willis. Wade also bought tickets for himself and Willis to San Francisco in April 2023.
Willis previously defended herself and her hiring of Wade in a speech in one of Atlanta’s historic Black churches. She has not addressed the question of a relationship with Wade.
The presiding judge in the Georgia racketeering case against Trump and his allies set a hearing date of Feb. 15 for the misconduct allegations against Willis. He ordered her to respond to the motion by Feb. 2.
A trial date has not yet been set for Trump and the 18 others named in the indictment. Four of those allies, including Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell, have already taken plea deals admitting their attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
