Unsealed original divorce documents don't mention Fulton County DA Fani Willis
ATLANTA, GA - August 8: District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, Fani Willis poses for photos in the Fulton County Court House in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. (Photo by Megan Varner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - The recently unsealed records pertaining to the divorce of Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade do not provide any new evidence of an "improper, clandestine" relationship with his superior, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Wade was appointed by Willis to lead the investigation into the Georgia election interference case, resulting in the indictment of former President Donald Trump and 18 others. On Jan. 8, co-defendant Michael Roman, a former White House aide, filed a motion alleging a romantic involvement between Willis and Wade, along with benefiting from the investigation. Roman also requested the unsealing of Nathan and Joycelyn Wade's divorce records.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson ordered the unsealing of these records on Monday. However, the extensive documents, spanning hundreds of pages, make no mention of Willis or any other potential romantic interest.
Nathan and Joycelyn Wade were married on June 21, 1997, and separated on Aug. 15, 2021, with Nathan filing for divorce on Nov. 2, 2021.
In her counterclaim submitted on Nov. 30, 2021, a comprehensive list of interrogatories was included. These questions covered financial matters related to Nathan Wade, along with personal aspects, including sexual partners and casual meetings with women other than his wife during their marriage and separation; social media and dating website activities; and inquiries about alcohol and drug usage.
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Nathan Wade responded to Joycelyn's counterclaim and interrogatories in December 2021, but according to Joycelyn's attorney, the response was deemed "woefully inadequate" as it included only a few incorporation documents, one bank statement, and minimal answers to personal interrogatories.
Over the subsequent two years, Joycelyn Wade's attorney repeatedly complained about Nathan Wade's "willful refusal" to provide the requested documents or answer interrogatories. In May 2023, the court ordered Nathan Wade to submit all outstanding documents, including tax records and pay stubs, which he partially complied with in June 2023. Subsequently, he faced contempt charges in August 2023 and was directed to provide additional credit card statements and law firm records.
In September 2023, Joycelyn Wade filed a motion to reopen discovery, alleging that Nathan Wade, while appointed as a special prosecutor in the Trump case, was leading a lavish lifestyle, spending substantial amounts of money, leaving her with minimal financial support. In December 2023, Nathan Wade reportedly produced some outstanding discovery responses, revealing credit card statements indicating non-work-related trips with Willis.
As a result, Joycelyn Wade served Willis with a notice of deposition on Jan. 8. Wade has not admitted to a romantic relationship with Wade and defended him in a speech at the historic Bethel AME Church on Jan. 14. She sought a protective order against the deposition, which a judge granted, at least temporarily.
The impact of the alleged relationship between Willis and Wade on the case against former President Trump and the remaining co-defendants, where four have accepted plea deals, remains uncertain. Calls for investigations into the matter have been made, including Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, who sent a letter to Willis last week, and Sen. Greg Dolezal, who introduced legislation to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to look into the allegations of misconduct.
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An evidentiary hearing in the divorce case is scheduled for Jan. 31 in Cobb County Superior Court, and Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee has set a hearing to consider Roman's motion to dismiss his case on Feb. 15.