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Fani Willis and top prosecutor Nathan Wade subpoenaed to testify at hearing about relationship allegations
Washington — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor working on the sprawling racketeering case in Georgia against former President Donald Trump and others, have been subpoenaed to answer questions at a hearing next month about allegations the two were involved in an improper romantic relationship.
The subpoenas were issued on behalf of Michael Roman, who was indicted alongside Trump in August and is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed. Roman served as director of election day operations for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign and faces seven counts related to what Fulton County prosecutors alleged was a scheme to overturn the results of Georgia’s presidential election.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the first to report the subpoenas. The district attorney’s office declined to comment.
The subpoenas to Wade and Willis were included in a filing in Fulton County Superior Court by Roman’s attorney, which states that he intends to call them as witnesses during a hearing before Judge Scott McAfee on Feb. 15. The subpoenas to Willis and Wade were served Thursday, according to the filing. Ten others also received subpoenas, including several employees in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
The hearing was set to address Roman’s request to dismiss the charges against him on the grounds that the prosecution is “invalid and unconstitutional,” as well as the allegations of misconduct between Willis and Wade. Willis hired Wade to assist with the case against Trump and his co-defendants, and Roman claimed that the two prosecutors benefited financially from the arrangement.
The allegations about the purported relationship between Wade and Willis were raised in a filing earlier this month, though it did not include any evidence of an entanglement. Roman also claimed — without putting forth evidence — that Wade had been paid more than $650,000 by the district attorney’s office and took Willis on vacation. In addition to seeking to have his charges tossed, Roman also wants Willis disqualified from the case.
Separately, Willis had been set to testify in Wade’s divorce proceedings on Wednesday, but the judge overseeing that case indicated on Tuesday that Wade and his estranged wife Jocelyn Wade had reached a temporary agreement to settle their differences. The judge said he would delay a ruling on whether Willis would have to testify eventually.
Jocelyn Wade previously introduced evidence purporting to show that Nathan Wade had booked two sets of roundtrip flights for himself and Willis.
McAfee, the judge presiding over the election case, gave Willis’ office until Feb. 2 to respond to the allegations. Neither she nor Wade have publicly commented on Roman’s claims, and the district attorney’s office said it would do so in court filings.
But during a speech at the Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, a historic Black church in Atlanta, earlier this month, Willis defended hiring Wade, saying he had “impeccable credentials.” She did not directly address the allegations against them. Willis also noted she hired three outside lawyers to work on the case involving the 2020 election and paid them all the same rate.
Last week, Trump joined Roman’s effort to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Willis, the special prosecutors she hired, and her office.
Roman was initially among a group of 18 co-defendants charged alongside Trump in the case involving the alleged efforts to overturn the results of the last presidential election. Four have since accepted plea deals. Roman pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Andy Bast contributed to this report
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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Kamala Harris discusses U.S. relationship with Israel
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