A former special prosecutor's testimony has shed new light on potential connections between the White House and a high-profile investigation.
According to a transcript obtained by Fox News, Nathan Wade acknowledged having multiple meetings with White House officials during the investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
The revelation came during Wade's recent interview with the House Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the prosecutions of the former president. While Wade did not provide specific details about the meetings, he confirmed the existence of invoices and records indicating that discussions with White House representatives took place.
During the interview, Wade was questioned about an invoice line that mentioned a "conf with White House counsel" on May 23, 2022. When pressed about whether this entry indicated an actual conference with White House counsel, Wade confirmed that if he billed for such a meeting, it would have occurred.
Another record discussed during the interview referred to an "Interview with D.C./White House" on November 18, 2022, billed for eight hours at $250 per hour. While Wade stated he could not recall specific details about this meeting, including participants or travel arrangements, he acknowledged that if he billed for it, he would have taken part in the interview.
It's important to note that the transcript does not specify whether these meetings were related to the Trump investigation or if they involved officials from the Trump or Biden administrations.
Wade's admission of multiple White House meetings during the Trump Georgia probe raises questions about the nature and extent of communication between prosecutors and federal officials. The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, has been seeking to interview Wade for months regarding accusations that he and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis profited from the probe during their romantic relationship.
Both Wade and Willis have vehemently denied these allegations, maintaining that their relationship had no bearing on the case. They have accused Republicans of attempting to interfere unjustly in the Fulton County investigation.
Wade's attorney, Andrew Evans, emphasized that his client had "no specific memory of those meetings" and pointed out that the invoices did not specify whether the meetings were with the Trump White House or Biden White House, or if they were about the White House or with officials from it.
Evans also highlighted a legal precedent that could explain the need for such meetings:
Wade also noted that if he met with current White House employees, it would have been because prosecutors wanted to interview individuals like former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. The United States Supreme Court case of United States ex rel. Touhy v. Ragen, 340 U.S. 462 (1951), requires that prosecutors confer with government officials before interviewing current or former federal employees.
This statement suggests that any meetings with White House officials may have been procedural in nature rather than indicative of improper coordination.
The revelations from Wade's testimony come amid ongoing scrutiny of the Fulton County investigation. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Willis could remain on the case only if Wade was removed, following allegations of a conflict of interest due to their romantic relationship. Wade subsequently resigned from the case.
The House Judiciary Committee's investigation into these matters continues, with Wade having been questioned for over four hours on Capitol Hill last week. As the probe progresses, it is likely to fuel further debate about the integrity of the Trump Georgia investigation and the relationships between prosecutors and federal officials.
