A former special prosecutor whose romantic relationship with Fani Willis scuttled the Fulton County election interference case said facts — not political pressure — drove the decision to indict Donald Trump and others for trying to overturn the 2020 results in Georgia.
Nathan Wade told a Georgia Senate committee Friday he did not accept the job of leading the investigation for personal gain or to benefit Willis, the district attorney. He said investigators simply followed the evidence.
“The investigation was not politically motivated or influenced,” Wade told the Senate Special Committee on Investigations. “Rather, it was an independent investigation based on facts, interviews, evidence and the rule of law.”
Republicans on the committee have suggested the case was part of a conspiracy with the Biden administration to damage Trump politically. On Friday, they questioned Wade about contacts he had with federal officials during the investigation. Wade said he could recall few details.
“I wish Mr. Wade had a better memory,” Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, who led the questioning, said after the hearing.
Friday’s testimony was the latest fallout from a scandal that began two years ago when defense attorneys disclosed the Willis-Wade relationship that ultimately led to Willis’ disqualification and the dismissal of charges against Trump and others.
Willis hired Wade to oversee the case against Trump and 18 other defendants. They later testified they became romantically involved after she hired him.
Defendants argued the relationship gave Willis a financial interest in prosecuting the case. Wade earned more than $728,000 for his work. In court testimony two years ago, he admitted paying for plane tickets, hotels and other expenses for various trips the couple took. But he said Willis often reimbursed him, and they split the costs of their trips.
In December 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from prosecuting the case, saying her relationship with Wade created an “appearance of impropriety.” The Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear Willis’ appeal, and a judge later dismissed the remaining charges in the case.
The Georgia Senate launched an investigation of Willis two years ago, and Willis testified to the panel in a fiery performance in December. She accused Republican senators on the panel — many of them seeking higher office this year — of a racist, politically motivated witch hunt.
Wade’s testimony was more subdued. In an opening statement, he said no one — including the White House, the Biden Justice Department or the congressional Jan. 6 Committee — pressured him to bring charges or do anything else in the case.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Senators pressed Wade to recall details of his interactions with federal officials. Those contacts included a 2022 trip to Washington where the Jan. 6 Committee allowed Fulton County investigators to review — but not keep — evidence relevant to their Georgia investigation.
Wade said he could not recall who attended the meeting or what evidence they reviewed.
Senators also questioned Wade about his billing invoices. He said he worked far more hours than he charged for, but he recalled few details when pressed on individual expenses.
Wade also stood by the office’s work when asked what he thought of the case being dismissed.
“I stand by that indictment, and I’m very proud of the work we did,” he said.
Wade’s attorneys blasted the hearing to reporters when it was over.
“This is nothing but a political witch hunt,” attorney Roy Barnes said.
On Friday the panel also heard from Willis spokesman Jeff DiSantis. Senators quizzed him about a $10,000 contract that tracked media coverage of Willis and the DA’s office, including news coverage of the Trump prosecution.
DiSantis told senators the office tracked coverage to ensure it was accurate and to gauge public interest in various topics. He said such tracking is common and he presented information showing a variety of state and local agencies — from the governor’s office and the attorney general to school boards — pay for such services. Some of them pay substantially more for those services than the Fulton DA’s office, according to DiSantis’ data.
“It’s a normal, widespread function of government,” he said.
The Senate committee recently proposed new criteria for disciplining or removing district attorneys, including making charging decisions based on undisclosed conflicts of interest and failure to comply with the State Bar of Georgia’s code of professional conduct. The Senate approved that bill last week.
The Senate did not pass a proposed constitutional amendment that would have created statewide grand juries to investigate election-related crimes.
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