On Sunday, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis broke her silence after former President Donald Trump’s co-defendant accused her of having a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade in the state’s case against Trump.
For the first time since the allegations were made, Willis spoke on the matter at the Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta on Sunday.
“They only attacked one,” she said. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’
“But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one,” Willis asked.
Citing “sources close” to both Willis and Wade, Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, claimed the pair have been involved in an “ongoing, personal and romantic relationship,” and went on vacations together. The filings argued the alleged relationship, which Merchant claims started before the election interference began, makes the indictment “fatally defective” and requests it be dismissed.
“I’m a little confused. I appointed three special counselors. It’s my right to do, paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attack one,” Willis said Sunday. “I hired one white woman, a good personal friend and a great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man — brilliant — my friend and a great lawyer. And I hired one Black man, another superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer.”
Although she never mentioned Wade by name during the speech on Sunday, she referred to the man as “a great friend and a great lawyer.”
Earlier this month, court documents filed say Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, her alleged partner, to prosecute Trump and benefited financially from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations the two went on using funds his firm received for working the case.
“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” court documents read.
Fulton County records show Wade has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022.
