Special prosecutor Nathan Wade on Thursday said expenses for trips he took with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis “balanced out,” taking pains to distinguish his role as a taxpayer-funded investigator from the finances of his former girlfriend, who is leading the racketeering case against former President Donald Trump.
One of Mr. Trump’s co-defendants, Michael Roman, says Ms. Willis benefited financially after hiring Mr. Wade to help the election subversion investigation against Mr. Trump and 18 co-defendants, so she should be disqualified.
Mr. Wade says his relationship began with Ms. Willis in 2022 after he was hired, though they broke up in mid-2023.
In high-stakes testimony, he repeatedly drew distinctions between his funds and Ms. Willis’ finances.
Mr. Wade said a trip they took to Belize in 2023 was a birthday gift and that she paid for everything, even if expenses were booked under his credit card.
“You’re saying she paid you cash to reimburse you for all of that?” Mr. Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, said.
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“She did,” he said.
Mr. Wade said Ms. Willis had become a public figure, so she kept a low profile.
“For safety reasons, she would limit her transactions,” Mr. Wade said. “There’s no attempt to conceal.”
He said they also took a trip to California and that Ms. Willis insisted on paying her way.
“She’s going to insist that she carries her own weight. It actually was a point of contention between the two of us,” Mr. Wade said.
Ms. Merchant questioned Mr. Wade about additional trips, including cruises, as part of a two-day hearing Judge Scott McAfee called to determine whether Ms. Willis may stay on the case.
Mr. Trump and others are being prosecuted under state racketeering statutes for their efforts to overturn President Biden’s 2020 election win in Georgia.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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