Fulton County DA Fani Willis sent a scathing letter to the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee demanding that her lover, Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to spearhead the prosecution of former President Donald Trump on Georgia RICO charges, should not have to answer certain questions before Congress, because the proceedings could compel Wade to "improperly divulge confidential information."
Willis contacted the committee's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), ahead of Wade's deposition slated to take place Tuesday, arguing that it could interfere with the Trump case.
On X, the House Judiciary GOP posted a copy of the Democrat DA's letter addressed to Jordan as well as a separate directive she sent Wade, ordering him not to speak about the particulars of the Trump prosecution.
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) October 14, 2024
Willis indicated that Wade has "knowledge of highly sensitive and confidential information regarding this ongoing criminal matter." She insisted that this information "still belongs" to her prosecutorial team. In the three-page memo to Jordan, she said, "I am concerned that your demand for Mr. Wade's testimony would force him to improperly divulge confidential information that is protected by privileges held by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office..."
"The disclosure of such evidence may also interfere with ongoing proceedings, [and] this is considered legally privileged and not subject to disclosure," Willis wrote.
In May, Jordan sought Wade's closed-door testimony after asking him for records related to his employment under Willis and the undisclosed affair the two had engaged in during the Trump investigation. Wade is scheduled this week to tell investigators in Washington all he knows about the Georgia election interference case against Trump and his allies.
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Last month, the judiciary panel reportedly asked the U.S. Marshals to help locate Wade and serve him a summons to testify following his failure to appear for a previous hearing. Wade ultimately agreed to appear.
Willis is now moving to place certain restrictions on what Wade can disclose on Capitol Hill and said he was already "instructed not to answer any questions that seek to solicit information about his role or underlying evidence" in the Trump case.
"I write to remind you of your continuing obligation not to disclose any confidential information related to ongoing criminal matters on which you worked while you were a Special Counsel District Attorney..." Willis told Wade in writing. "The criminal efforts to undermine Georgia's 2020 presidential election not only shook the foundations of our state's democracy, but also endangered public servants and election workers who were brave enough to stand up for the rule of law. As long as I am District Attorney, I will continue to do everything that is in my power to protect the integrity of this criminal investigation and all others in which my office leads."
Willis and Jordan have been engaged in a war of words over her non-compliance with the congressional committee's subpoenas, one of which directed the DA to hand over financial documents pertaining to her administration's potential misuse of federal funds. She has repeatedly refused to cooperate, prompting Jordan to threaten her with contempt of Congress. During one back-and-forth, Willis called Jordan "ignorant" of the U.S. Constitution and his investigation into her affairs "politically motivated." In an earlier exchange, Willis said the Ohio congressman lacks "a basic understanding of the law, its practice, and the ethical obligations of attorneys generally and prosecutors specifically."
Willis is also feuding with a state Senate committee investigating her use of county funds, specifically how she paid Wade more than $700,000 in taxpayer-funded legal fees for his work on the Trump case. Wade then admittedly took Willis on luxury vacations around the world, including trysts in Aruba, the Bahamas, Belize, and Napa Valley. During his employment, he had earned much more than his colleagues despite his scant prosecutorial experience as a private-practice lawyer.
She previously claimed that the investigative body has no authority over her.
"First of all, I don't even think they have the authority to subpoena me, but they need to learn the law," Willis said at a campaign stop. "I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law in any way. I'm sorry folks get p*ssed off that everybody gets treated evenly." Expressing displeasure with the panel's probe, Willis said the investigation is "really messing up my business."
Trump's challenge to the non-disqualification decision allowing Willis to stay in charge of the case will be heard by the Georgia Court of Appeals later this year, assuring that the trial would not start before Election Day, which Willis wanted. Some of the charges have since been dismissed at different times.
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