Nathan Wade, the former special prosecutor of Fulton County, has come under scrutiny after a House Judiciary Committee interview.
Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade's interviews about his meetings during the Trump Georgia probe suggest possible improprieties with the involvement of White House staff, Fox News reported.
During last year's high-profile investigation into Donald Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, Wade met multiple times with White House personnel. The specifics of these meetings, including the participants and the exact nature of the discussions, remain largely unrecalled by Wade himself.
One document noted Wade's involvement in an "Interview with D.C./White House" on November 18, 2022, which extended over eight hours. Months earlier, on May 23, 2022, Wade was billed for travel associated with a conference with White House counsel, though the precise contents of these interactions are not detailed in billing records.
Wade faced questioning by House Judiciary Committee members, chaired by Republican Jim Jordan, regarding these engagements. The interviews focused heavily on whether such meetings compromised the independence of the judicial process handling Trump's case.
Wade's attorney, Andrew Evans, addressed concerns about his client's memory. "Wade said he had 'no specific memory of those meetings,'" noted Evans, highlighting the vague nature of Wade's recollections about his White House interactions. This has not only fueled further speculation but also raised questions about the transparency and motivations behind these undisclosed discussions.
The invoices related to Wade's activities ambiguously mentioned the White House but did not specify whether they concerned the Trump or Biden administration, causing further confusion. Andrew Evans posited that any meetings with current White House employees might have been attempts to interview former Trump administration officials such as Mark Meadows.
Wade stepped down from his role in the probe after his relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis surfaced, spawning allegations of a conflict of interest. Critics, including Trump’s co-defendants, have argued that this relationship might have influenced the proceedings, although both Wade and Willis have denied any professional impropriety.
Trump and several of his associates were formally charged last year with attempting to overturn the Georgia election results. Their case continued to unfold with Fani Willis at the helm, after a judicial ruling in March 2023. The decision permitted her to remain on the case provided Wade was no longer involved.
In his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee in October 2024, Wade confirmed his participation in claimed meetings. He struggled, however, to provide detailed answers to the committee about the specifics of these occurrences.
Regarding the unclear invoices, Wade commented, "If I billed for a conf with White House counsel, this document doesn’t say that that cong with White House counsel happened in Athens. That’s not what that says." His remarks hinted at a possible disconnection between the content of the invoices and the actual locations or specifics of the meetings.
Despite Wade's attempts to clarify his actions, this episode has cast a long shadow over the judiciary's integrity in handling politically sensitive cases. With minimal specifics offered by Wade and his representatives, public and legal scrutiny is likely to persist.
The ramifications of these controversies continue to unfold, impacting perceptions of legal fairness and the weight of political influence in judicial matters. As the Trump Georgia probe advances, stakeholders from all sides demand greater clarity and accountability to uphold the credibility of the legal processes involved.
