Divorce file at center of Fani Willis relationship claims released

Further details about Georgia district attorney Fani Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade are set to be released after a judge ruled his divorce case will be unsealed.

Wade had asked for his divorce from wife of 26-years, Jocelyn Wade, be sealed after he was hired to head up the prosecution of Donald Trump and co-defendants on counts of election fraud in Georgia.

But at an emergency hearing in Cobb County Monday, judge Henry Thompson decided the case should be made public and heard arguments as to whether Willis — who he is now said to be dating — should sit for a deposition.

Andrea Hastings, an attorney for Joycelyn, argued on Monday Willis “knows the cause of the separation” between the former couple and accused her of hindering her ability to access information relevant to the case.

Jocelyn’s attorneys have previously accused Wade of leaving her destitute, hiding how much he was earning and spending lavishly — including on vacations with Willis.

“I want to know how he’s spending his money… I have reason to believe he’s spending it on another woman,” Hastings said, adding Willis “is trying to hide under the shield of her position, improperly.

“Whatever her job is has nothing to do with whether she should sit for this deposition… I have questions and she needs to answer them,” Hastings argued.

Willis’ lawyer, Cinque Axam argued Willis’ testimony would be irrelevant because the district attorney is not privy to any details about the Wades’ marriage, which they claim broke down as early as 2017, and does not know how he spends his money.

“The knowledge she may or may not have is not unique; if it’s the case that Willis had an affair with Wade as alleged, then he has that information,” Axam said.

Willis and Wade are accused of having an “improper” personal relationship by Michael Roman, one of the co-defendants accused of state racketeering charges over 2020 election interference.

Willis, who brought charges against Trump and 18 co-defendants hired Wade, her alleged secret lover and a private attorney with the Atlanta-based Wade & Campbell Firm, to oversee the case in late 2021.

Trump and the 14 remaining co-defendants in the case have all pleaded not guilty.

Last week Willis filed an emergency motion asking the judge to cancel the subpoena that meant she has to give testimony in Wade’s divorce case.

In response Joycelyn’s attorneys submitted bank records showing Wade booked tickets for himself and Willis with his personal credit card during the prosecution of the election interference case. Roman’s argument was that he was using funds paid to him by the Fulton County DA’s office to do so and Willis was benefitting, an apparent misuse of county funds and presenting a professional conflict of interest.

On Tuesday, judge Thompson said he would not make a ruling on whether Willis will have to sit for a deposition until after Wade had given evidence, scheduled for Tuesday.

Separate to Wade’s divorce filing in Cobb County, Judge Scott McAfee is presiding over the Georgia election interference case in Fulton County.

He said in court Friday he expects to hold a hearing about the allegations of Wade and Willis’ relationship in early February and set a deadline for Feb. 2nd for Willis to respond to the allegations of their relationship.

Trump and Roman have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The case has not yet been scheduled for trial.