Nathan Wade, one of the attorneys prosecuting Donald Trump in Georgia, has spoken out about his affair with District Attorney Fani Willis, saying office romances are “as American as apple pie.” Mr. Wade’s affair with Willis became public when Trump’s Fulton County co-defendant, Michael Roman, filed court documents saying Willis and Wade were romantically involved and had used public money to fund lavish vacations together.
Donald Trump’s attorneys said the two had engaged in prosecutorial misconduct, so the case was compromised and should be dropped. A hearing followed, overseen by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who eventually ruled that misconduct was not proven and there was no cause to dismiss the case or Ms. Willis. However, he doubted that Wade and Willis had been entirely honest during their testimony, saying, “An odor of mendacity remains.”
Judge McAfee told Willis she had made an enormous error of judgment in becoming involved with a colleague but said she could remain the lead on the crucial case provided Wade was not involved. Mr. Wade subsequently stepped down.
The scandal centered around the timing of Willis and Wade’s relationship. Willis told the court that the romance began after she hired him to work on the Trump case, but several witnesses said the affair dated back to 2018 or 2019. The total amount Wade received is unclear, but Michael Roman alleged it was as high as one million dollars and claimed that Wade subsequently paid for vacations to Florida and California.
During a recent interview, Mr. Wade did not express regret about this relationship with Willis, saying, “It happens to everyone.” He did note, however, that he tried not to develop feelings for Ms. Willis and was unhappy about the impact the affair had on the Donald Trump election interference case. The lawyer said he “hated” that his personal matters began to overshadow “such an important case.” He insisted, however, that when the affair developed, it was “none of the public’s concern.”
