A close ally of District Attorney Fani Willis is calling for the special prosecutor in Donald Trump's election interference case, Nathan Wade, to "step aside" considering the allegation that Willis hired him while engaged in an affair with the married man.
Norm Eisen, who was the House of Representatives special counsel during Trump’s impeachment, said that while Georgia law does not require Wade to resign, he should consider it.
“My view is that the law does not require Mr. Wade to step down, but I think it would be the wise thing for him to voluntarily consider doing so,” Eisen said during an interview with The Hill on Saturday. “The advice that I would give Mr. Wade, if he asked me would be that this is a good time to step away from the case.”
Eisen noted that the facts of the relationship between Wills and Wade are not completely known, "so we need to see how that develops.”
The allegations against Wade emerged from divorce papers filed against him by his wife Jocelyn Webb. Bank records show that Wade paid for himself and Willi's travel to San Francisco and Miami in 2022 and 2023. He also went on "cruises to the Caribbean and took trips to Belize, Panama and Australia and bought tickets to bring Willis with him on several of the trips," according to UPI.
There is no Georgia law that would force Wade to resign as special prosecutor. But in a case involving the former president of the United States who is alleging a biased and corrupt prosecution, Wade is making a tactical error in not stepping aside.
Wade has not bothered to address the allegations against him nor has Willis said anything about hiring her married boyfriend for a lucrative special prosecutor position.
Especially since, according to court documents, Wade left his wife with little means of support.
Nathan Wade didn't "reveal to [Joycelyn Wade] his appointment by Ms. Willis or the substantial income he has been receiving through his divorce case as a result of that appointment," the attorney said.
Instead, Nathan Wade left his wife "with little means of financial support while spending tens of thousands of dollars per month on a very lavish lifestyle," which he allegedly failed to disclose and has resulted in the court holding him in contempt for violating a discovery order, Hasting said in the filing.
Willis and Wade may not have violated any laws in carrying on their affair. But it's likely that Willis violated Fulton County hiring policies and/or gift policies in appointing Wade.
Washington Post:
Eisen’s remarks represent one of the first instances of a Willis ally acknowledging the potential damage that the allegations have brought to her and the case. Although he was quick to note that many facts remain unknown, he said it seems clear that the two have had a personal relationship, and that was “not wise.”
Another unknown is what would happen to the case if McAfee disqualifies Willis’s office. It would fall to a state prosecutors advisory council to find a new prosecutor, but it’s not certain that any would volunteer.
Willis is being very tight-lipped about the scandal. She made an appearance at an all-black church in Atlanta last Sunday but all she said about the scandal was that she was “flawed” and “imperfect.” She did not directly address the allegations. She did say that Wade was a "superstar" attorney, which is something that no one was calling him when he was hired.
In fact, a new book out later this month alleges that Wade wasn't Willis' first choice for the job of special prosecutor. He only got the job after two other noted attorneys turned her down.
Willis and Wade probably didn't do anything illegal by carrying on their affair. But when it comes to prosecuting a former president, one would think that the adage "Caesar's wife must be above reproach" should apply.
