In the middle of Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis's attempt to make a name for herself by trying to take down Donald Trump, she has drawn plenty of attention for the wrong reasons. The allegations of an improper relationship with Nathan Wade, one of the special prosecutors Willis hired, combined with accusations that Willis and Wade took lavish trips together and that Wade met with Biden administration representatives about the Trump case, haven't been a good look for the DA.
A judge in Cobb County, just northwest of Atlanta, announced on Monday that he would unseal the records in Wade's divorce case, which Willis has found herself embroiled in.
"A Cobb County judge on Monday unsealed the divorce records of a top prosecutor in Fulton County’s election interference probe, allowing the public to sift through personal information that could involve his boss and alleged romantic partner, District Attorney Fani Willis," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
But there's a trade-off. Attorneys for Wade's estranged wife Joycelyn sought to subpoena Wills to testify in the proceedings, but the judge has put a stop to that — at least for now
"Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson also placed a temporary stay on a subpoena from the estranged wife of special prosecutor Nathan Wade," the AJC reports. "She was seeking to depose Willis this week."
Thompson said that attorneys should depose Nathan Wade first before determining whether Willis has any information that's relevant to the divorce case. The first hearing is set for Jan. 31.
The AJC was one of 15 media local and national media outlets that sought to have the Wade divorce case records unsealed, including ABC News, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNN, CBS News, WSB-TV, The Wall Street Journal, Scripps News, Court TV, WANF, Guardian News, The New York Times, WXIA-TV and The Washington Post.
“The allegation that records in this action reveal a legally improper relationship between Special Prosecutor Wade and D.A. Willis must be answered in a transparent manner to preserve public confidence in our judicial system,” AJC attorneys Tom Clyde and Lesli Gaither argued.
“The public interest in this matter cannot be overstated,” the media outlets asserted.
Related: Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis? Fani Goes to Church to Grandstand.
The group of media outlets maintains that Wade's divorce case is worth public scrutiny because of his role in the Trump case. Public records have also demonstrated that the Fulton County DA's office paid Nathan Wade's law firm considerably more than it did other special prosecutors working on the case even though Wade has little (if any) experience prosecuting cases under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.
Last week, Judge Scott McAfee, who is also overseeing the Trump case, ordered a hearing involving the allegations of corruption and conflicts of interests involving Willis. That hearing will take place in mid-February, but McAfee has also ordered Willis to respond in writing to the allegations before the hearing.
Of course, we don't know if the Wade divorce records will contain any salacious information, but it'll be interesting to see how this information affects the case against Trump. Pop some popcorn, y'all!
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