Georgia Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis acknowledged having a personal relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade in a court filing on Friday.
Willis clarified that the relationship did not involve any direct or indirect financial benefit for her. Wade, in an affidavit, detailed the development of a personal relationship with District Attorney Willis in 2022, emphasizing that there was no such relationship when he was appointed as a special prosecutor in November 2021.
The admission comes in response to court documents filed last month by Michael Roman, a co-defendant of former President Trump, seeking the dismissal of criminal charges against him. Roman alleged a conflict of interest on Willis’ part due to her relationship with prosecutor Wade.
The court filing counters Roman’s claims, stating that his assertions rely on suppositions about the private relationship between Willis and Wade, lacking substantial evidence.
Despite reports of Wade receiving above-average compensation and purchasing plane tickets to vacation locations under Willis’ name, the court filing dismisses Roman’s speculation of financial benefit. The filing highlights that Roman fails to provide adequate support for the claim that Willis gained financially from the investigation and prosecution of the criminal case. According to the filing, neither Willis nor Wade has a personal or financial interest in the conviction of the defendants, as per the clear definitions provided by the law.
To establish that Wade had no conflict of interest in the case, Willis’ filing cites Georgia law, which supports payment to special prosecutors based on mutually agreeable compensation arrangements between the district attorney and the appointee. The court documents aim to refute any concerns about the integrity of the legal proceedings related to the former President Trump co-defendant case.