Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - An allegation by one of former President Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case is threatening to delay the prosecution of the former president and the remaining co-defendants. Former White House aide Michael Roman has accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of having an "improper, clandestine relationship" with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade and benefiting when Wade then paid for the two of them to go on vacations.
Here is a timeline of what has happened so far:
Jan. 1, 2021: Willis assumes office as Fulton County district attorney after defeating her former boss in the Democratic primary and running unopposed in the November election.
Feb. 10, 2021: Willis sends a letter to top Georgia officials, informing them of her initiation of a criminal investigation into possible interference in the state's 2020 general election. In the letter, she instructs them to preserve evidence, without explicitly naming former President Donald Trump. The recipients of the letters include Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Nov. 1, 2021: Willis hires Wade as a special prosecutor in the investigation. While she reportedly offered the job to several other Georgia attorneys, including former Gov. Roy Barnes and former federal prosecutor Gabe Banks, they declined due to the time the case would require and the politically incendiary nature of the case.
Nov. 2, 2021: Wade files for divorce against his wife, Joycelyn Wade, in Cobb County Superior Court.
Jan. 20, 2022: Wade requests Fulton County Superior Court to impanel a special purpose grand jury to investigate possible attempts to disrupt the 2020 election.
May 2, 2022: A special purpose grand jury is empaneled to investigate attempts by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to overturn his loss in Georgia.
June 1, 2022: The special purpose grand jury is seated. They hear from 75 witnesses, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Gov. Brian Kemp.
October-November 2022: On Oct. 4, Wade spends more than $1,300 for three American Airlines tickets to Miami for himself, Willis, and Clara Bowman, according to credit card statements. The statements also show more than $8,000 in charges from Royal Caribbean Cruises, Vacation Express, the Hyatt Regency in Aruba, and Norwegian Cruise Line. There are no names associated with those charges.
Dec. 15, 2022: The special purpose grand jury issues a sealed report, one the foreperson says recommends indictments against more than a dozen people.
Jan. 9, 2023: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who oversaw the special grand jury, states that the panel has completed its work and submitted a final report to him.
April 25, 2023: Wade spends $817 on Delta Air Lines tickets to San Francisco. His and Willis' names appear on the credit card statement.
May 14, 2023: Wade spends $840 for what appears to be a stay at the DoubleTree hotel in Napa Valley. However, Willis' name does not appear on the credit card statement.
July 11, 2023: Fulton County grand jurors are sworn in to begin considering charges against former President Trump and his co-conspirators.
Aug. 14, 2023: Former President Donald Trump and 18 other people are indicted by a Fulton County grand jury, accused of scheming to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
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Jan. 8, 2024: Joycelyn Wade, through her attorney Andrea Hastings, attempts to serve Willis with a notice of deposition. The subpoena was presented to an employee at the Office of the Fulton County District Attorney.
Jan. 8, 2024: An attorney for defendant Michael Roman files a motion seeking to disqualify the DA’s office from the case because of an alleged romantic relationship between Willis and Wade. The court filing states that because Wade paid for trips they took together, Willis benefited financially from the arrangement. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, asks for the Wades’ divorce records to be unsealed and also wants the charges against her client dropped. The DA’s office says they will reply in a court filing but doesn’t indicate when that will be.
Jan. 12: U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) announces an investigation into Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Jan. 14: Willis defends Wade during a 35-minute speech at the historic Big Bethel AME Church. She calls him a "superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer," but does not confirm or deny a romantic relationship. She suggests racism is behind the accusations that he is not qualified to be a special prosecutor, noting that critics targeted Wade, who is Black, and not the two other special prosecutors on the Trump case, who are white.
Jan. 18: Willis seeks a protective order to stop her from having to give a deposition in the Wades’ divorce. Willis accuses Joycelyn Wade of "interfering" with the Trump prosecution and says her allegations are meant to harass and embarrass Willis.
Jan. 19: Joycelyn Wade’s attorneys respond to Willis, attaching some of Nathan Wade’s credit card records to their court filing. The statements show that he purchased plane tickets for Willis and himself. Former President Trump's attorney Steven Sadow posts the court documents to his LinkedIn account.
Jan. 19: Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis sends a letter to Willis demanding documents from her in an effort to determine whether county funds paid to Wade "were converted to your personal gain in the form of subsidized travel or other gifts."
Jan. 22: In a hearing, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson says the Wades’ divorce records were improperly sealed and agrees to unseal the records. He also issues a stay related to Willis' deposition, saying it doesn't make sense for her to be questioned before Wade.
Jan. 22: Chairman of Georgia's Senate Committee on Transportation and Chief Deputy Whip Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) introduces legislation to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to look into allegations of misconduct involving Willis.
Jan. 25: Former President Donald Trump joins Michael Roman's motion to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Wade. Trump's chief complaint is Willis' speech at the church on Jan. 14.
Jan. 25: Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files complaint with Georgia's ethics commission against Nathan Wade over his purported failure to register and file lobbyist paperwork disclosing "his solicitation" of Fulton County DA Willis and "excessive gifts" to the prosecutor.
Jan. 30: Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade reaches divorce agreement with Joycelyn Wade ahead of a scheduled evidentiary hearing on Jan. 31.
Feb. 1: Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade receive subpoenas to testify Feb. 15 in hearing to consider Michael Roman's motion.
Feb. 2: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenas Fulton County DA Fani Willis over allegations she misused federal funds.
Feb. 2: Deadline given by Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee for Willis to respond to Roman’s motion.
Feb. 2: Fulton County DA Fani Willis files a 176-page response that confirms a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade. Willis says it began after he was hired and claims Roman's motion to disqualify her and Wade is a "salacious" effort that did not prove anything that would lead to their removal from the case. The current status of their relationship is unclear.
Feb. 6: Co-defendant David Shafer files motion saying Fulton County DA Fani Willis has engaged in a "pattern of prosecutorial, forensic misconduct" which he says should disqualify not only her, but her entire office and prosecution staff.
Feb. 7: Trump accuses Fulton County DA Dani Willis of lying in court response to Roman's motion. Willis has claimed her speech at the church on Feb. 14 was not about the case or defendants.
Feb. 7: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has filed a motion in an attempt to quash subpoenas that would require her and her staff to testify at a hearing on Feb. 15.
Feb. 8: Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files ethics complaint against DA Willis, accusing the district attorney of misusing public funds.
Feb. 9: First meeting of Senate Special Committee on Investigations. Sen. Bill Cowsert says "whistleblowers" from the Fulton County DA's office are eager to testify.
Feb. 9: Michael Roman files supplemental reply to Willis' response to his motion. Roman's attorney claims to have witnesses that will prove the relationship between Wade and Willis started even before she took office.
Feb. 12: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rules that the hearing on Thursday must happen and he will hear from a lawyer who reportedly knows when the relationship between Willis and Wade began before deciding if he should hear from others.
Feb. 15: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is scheduled to hold a hearing to consider Roman’s motion.
Feb. 15-16: Two-day hearing begins for Michael Roman's motion. Nathan Wade takes the stand first, followed by Fani Willis. Both testify that their romantic relationship did not begin until early months of 2022. A former friend of Willis testifies that it began in 2019 after they met at a conference. Willis' father also takes the stand and testifies he knew nothing about the relationship before general public.
Feb. 23: Former President Trump's team files supplemental defense exhibit to Roman's motion related to Nathan Wade's cellphone records. Trump's team claims the records can disprove statements made by Willis and Wade about the nature of their relationship in 2021.
Feb. 26: Judge Scott McAfee is scheduled to meet with Wade's former law partner, Terrence Bradley, about his understanding of what may be covered by attorney-client privilege and his knowledge of the relationship between Wade and Willis.
March 1: Judge Scott McAfee hears summation from both sides related to Michael Roman's motion. He tells the court he expects to issue ruling in 2 weeks.
March 7: The Fulton County Board of Ethics is scheduled to hear two complaints, filed by Gregory Mantell and Steven Kramer, against Fulton County DA Fani Willis.
March 5: Fulton County Board of Ethics decides it does not have the authority to remove Willis from the election interference case because she is representing the case. They decide not to hear the complaints.
March 5: Cobb County prosecutor claims Terrence Bradley told her about Willis-Wade relationship and she overheard Willis warning Bradley over the telephone.
March 6: Attorney Ashleigh Merchant testifies before Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations about investigation into Willis-Wade.
March 15: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rules the Defendants failed to prove the Willis acquired an actual conflict of interest in the case or financially benefited from hiring Wade, but either Willis or Wade must step aside. Wade tenders his resignation later in the day.
March 18: The defense in the Georgia election interference case has filed a joint motion in an effort to appeal Fulton County Superior Court Judge McAfee's ruling on the disqualification motions against District Attorney Fani Willis and her office.
March 20: Judge Scott McAfee grants defendants' request to appeal his ruling on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis disqualification motion.
March 29: Former President Donald Trump and 8 co-defendants file an Application for Interlocutopry Appeal with the Georgia Court of Appeals in connection to Judge McAfee's ruling on the disqualification motions.
April 3: Nathan Wade is accused by his ex-wife, Joycelyn Wade, of failing to pay for needed medical procedures and for cutting off financial support to their children. The Wades reached an agreement just days before Willis was scheduled to give a deposition in their divorce case.
April 8: Fulton County DA files motion in response to request to appear Judge McAfee's decision on disqualification.
May 3: Georgia Senate Committee on Investigations hold third meeting to discuss Fulton County DA Fani Willis' conduct and possible misuse of federal funds during investigation into former President Trump.
May 5: Nathan Wade says during an interview with ABC that romances between colleagues are "as American as apple pie" and he and Willis did nothing wrong.
May 6: Fulton County DA Fani Willis says during event with faith leaders that she will not respond to a subpoena from the Georgia Senate Committee on Investigations if she is served one.
May 8: Georgia appeals court agrees to review ruling allowing Fulton County DA Willis to remain on Trump election case.
May 21: Fulton County DA Fani Willis celebrates being re-elected as Fulton County District Attorney, Nathan Wade attends the celebration.
June 12: Nathan Wade appears on CNN. Interview is briefly stopped when Kaitlan Collins begins asking exactly when his relationship with Fulton County DA Fani Willis began. Wade refuses to give dates.
June 12: Fulton County DA Fani Willis files motion to dismiss appeal to Georgia Court of Appeals related to ruling on disqualification motion.
June 13: Fulton County DA Fani Willis gives speech at Marietta church, talks about challenges she has faced. Doesn't discuss relationship with Nathan Wade but he is in attendance.
June 19: Nathan Wade appears on "The Daily Show" for segment with comedian Marlon Wayans during which Wayans asks several pointed questions about his "affair" with Willis.
June 20: Former President Donald Trump files response to Fulton County DA Fani Willis' attempt to quash appeal to Georgia Court of Appeals.
July 16: Georgia Court of Appeals schedules oral arguments for Dec. 5 related to motion to disqualify Fulton County DA Willis.