Last Updated on December 22, 2024 by Mary Phagan
March 15, 2024
Judge McAfee Ruling:
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been given the green light to remain the lead prosecutor in the high-profile investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. This decision comes despite explosive allegations of impropriety due to a prior romantic relationship with a prosecutor she hired to lead the case. However, the endorsement from the judge comes with a notable caveat: special prosecutor Nathan Wade must resign from the case for it to proceed smoothly. Nathan Wade resigned after the ruling was announced.
Despite the defense’s allegations of a financial benefit stemming from her relationship with Wade, the court found no evidence that Willis had financially benefited from the case. “The evidence demonstrated that the financial gain flowing from her relationship with Wade was not a motivating factor on the part of the District Attorney to indict and prosecute,” McAfee ruled, dismantling the core argument for Willis’ disqualification.
The ruling carries significant implications for the progression of the case, which charges Trump and several co-defendants with attempting a criminal enterprise to unlawfully reverse the state’s election results. The controversy surrounding Willis and Wade had threatened to disrupt or derail the case, potentially affecting its trajectory ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Now, with Judge McAfee’s decision, Willis can continue to build upon the more than two years of investigation into the case.
In striking detail, the courtroom heard intimate aspects of Willis’ personal life, including testimony from Willis herself, who fiercely defended her role. “You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020,” she asserted. The district attorney has also been accused of misconduct by former Trump campaign aide Mike Roman, but Willis maintained her professional integrity throughout the proceedings.
As the case presses on, four of Trump’s original co-defendants have already pleaded guilty, while the rest, including the former president, await their fate in a state where they are accused of engaging in actions like promoting a “fake elector” scheme and pressuring officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to manipulate the election outcome.
Ruling:151-order-03-15-2024
Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - An allegation by one of former President Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case is threatening to delay the prosecution of the former president and the remaining co-defendants. Former White House aide Michael Roman has accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of having an "improper, clandestine relationship" with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade and benefiting when Wade then paid for the two of them to go on vacations.
Feb. 10, 2021: Willis sends a letter to top Georgia officials, informing them of her initiation of a criminal investigation into possible interference in the state's 2020 general election. In the letter, she instructs them to preserve evidence, without explicitly naming former President Donald Trump. The recipients of the letters include Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Nov. 1, 2021: Willis hires Wade as a special prosecutor in the investigation. While she reportedly offered the job to several other Georgia attorneys, including former Gov. Roy Barnes and former federal prosecutor Gabe Banks, they declined due to the time the case would require and the politically incendiary nature of the case.
Nov. 2, 2021: Wade files for divorce against his wife, Joycelyn Wade, in Cobb County Superior Court.
Jan. 20, 2022: Wade requests Fulton County Superior Court to impanel a special purpose grand jury to investigate possible attempts to disrupt the 2020 election.
May 2, 2022: A special purpose grand jury is empaneled to investigate attempts by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to overturn his loss in Georgia.
June 1, 2022: The special purpose grand jury is seated. They hear from 75 witnesses, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Gov. Brian Kemp.
October-November 2022: On Oct. 4, Wade spends more than $1,300 for three American Airlines tickets to Miami for himself, Willis, and Clara Bowman, according to credit card statements. The statements also show more than $8,000 in charges from Royal Caribbean Cruises, Vacation Express, the Hyatt Regency in Aruba, and Norwegian Cruise Line. There are no names associated with those charges.
Dec. 15, 2022: The special purpose grand jury issues a sealed report, one the foreperson says recommends indictments against more than a dozen people.
Jan. 9, 2023: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who oversaw the special grand jury, states that the panel has completed its work and submitted a final report to him.
April 25, 2023: Wade spends $817 on Delta Air Lines tickets to San Francisco. His and Willis' names appear on the credit card statement.
May 14, 2023: Wade spends $840 for what appears to be a stay at the DoubleTree hotel in Napa Valley. However, Willis' name does not appear on the credit card statement.
July 11, 2023: Fulton County grand jurors are sworn in to begin considering charges against former President Trump and his co-conspirators.
Aug. 14, 2023: Former President Donald Trump and 18 other people are indicted by a Fulton County grand jury, accused of scheming to illegally overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.
Jan. 8, 2024: Joycelyn Wade, through her attorney Andrea Hastings, attempts to serve Willis with a notice of deposition. The subpoena was presented to an employee at the Office of the Fulton County District Attorney.
Jan. 8, 2024: An attorney for defendant Michael Roman files a motion seeking to disqualify the DA’s office from the case because of an alleged romantic relationship between Willis and Wade. The court filing states that because Wade paid for trips they took together, Willis benefited financially from the arrangement. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, asks for the Wades’ divorce records to be unsealed and also wants the charges against her client dropped. The DA’s office says they will reply in a court filing but doesn’t indicate when that will be.
Jan. 12: U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) announces an investigation into Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Jan. 14: Willis defends Wade during a 35-minute speech at the historic Big Bethel AME Church. She calls him a "superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer," but does not confirm or deny a romantic relationship. She suggests racism is behind the accusations that he is not qualified to be a special prosecutor, noting that critics targeted Wade, who is Black, and not the two other special prosecutors on the Trump case, who are white.
Jan. 18: Willis seeks a protective order to stop her from having to give a deposition in the Wades’ divorce. Willis accuses Joycelyn Wade of "interfering" with the Trump prosecution and says her allegations are meant to harass and embarrass Willis.
Jan. 19: Joycelyn Wade’s attorneys respond to Willis, attaching some of Nathan Wade’s credit card records to their court filing. The statements show that he purchased plane tickets for Willis and himself. Former President Trump's attorney Steven Sadow posts the court documents to his LinkedIn account.
Jan. 19: Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis sends a letter to Willis demanding documents from her in an effort to determine whether county funds paid to Wade "were converted to your personal gain in the form of subsidized travel or other gifts."
Jan. 22: In a hearing, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson says the Wades’ divorce records were improperly sealed and agrees to unseal the records. He also issues a stay related to Willis' deposition, saying it doesn't make sense for her to be questioned before Wade.
Jan. 22: Chairman of Georgia's Senate Committee on Transportation and Chief Deputy Whip Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) introduces legislation to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to look into allegations of misconduct involving Willis.
Jan. 25: Former President Donald Trump joins Michael Roman's motion to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Wade. Trump's chief complaint is Willis' speech at the church on Jan. 14.
Jan. 25: Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files complaint with Georgia's ethics commission against Nathan Wade over his purported failure to register and file lobbyist paperwork disclosing "his solicitation" of Fulton County DA Willis and "excessive gifts" to the prosecutor.
Jan. 30: Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade reaches divorce agreement with Joycelyn Wade ahead of a scheduled evidentiary hearing on Jan. 31.
Feb. 1: Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade receive subpoenas to testify Feb. 15 in hearing to consider Michael Roman's motion.
Feb. 2: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenas Fulton County DA Fani Willis over allegations she misused federal funds.
Feb. 2: Deadline given by Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee for Willis to respond to Roman’s motion.
Feb. 2: Fulton County DA Fani Willis files a 176-page response that confirms a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade. Willis says it began after he was hired and claims Roman's motion to disqualify her and Wade is a "salacious" effort that did not prove anything that would lead to their removal from the case. The current status of their relationship is unclear.
Feb. 6: Co-defendant David Shafer files motion saying Fulton County DA Fani Willis has engaged in a "pattern of prosecutorial, forensic misconduct" which he says should disqualify not only her, but her entire office and prosecution staff.
Feb. 7: Trump accuses Fulton County DA Dani Willis of lying in court response to Roman's motion. Willis has claimed her speech at the church on Feb. 14 was not about the case or defendants.
Feb. 7: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has filed a motion in an attempt to quash subpoenas that would require her and her staff to testify at a hearing on Feb. 15.
Feb. 8: Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files ethics complaint against DA Willis, accusing the district attorney of misusing public funds.
Feb. 9: First meeting of Senate Special Committee on Investigations. Sen. Bill Cowsert says "whistleblowers" from the Fulton County DA's office are eager to testify.
Feb. 9: Michael Roman files supplemental reply to Willis' response to his motion. Roman's attorney claims to have witnesses that will prove the relationship between Wade and Willis started even before she took office.
Feb. 12: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rules that the hearing on Thursday must happen and he will hear from a lawyer who reportedly knows when the relationship between Willis and Wade began before deciding if he should hear from others.
Feb. 15: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is scheduled to hold a hearing to consider Roman’s motion.
Feb. 15-16: Two-day hearing begins for Michael Roman's motion. Nathan Wade takes the stand first, followed by Fani Willis. Both testify that their romantic relationship did not begin until early months of 2022. A former friend of Willis testifies that it began in 2019 after they met at a conference. Willis' father also takes the stand and testifies he knew nothing about the relationship before general public.
Feb. 23: Former President Trump's team files supplemental defense exhibit to Roman's motion related to Nathan Wade's cellphone records. Trump's team claims the records can disprove statements made by Willis and Wade about the nature of their relationship in 2021.
Feb. 26: Judge Scott McAfee is scheduled to meet with Wade's former law partner, Terrence Bradley, about his understanding of what may be covered by attorney-client privilege and his knowledge of the relationship between Wade and Willis.
March 1: Judge Scott McAfee hears summation from both sides related to Michael Roman's motion. He tells the court he expects to issue ruling in 2 weeks.
March 7: The Fulton County Board of Ethics is scheduled to hear two complaints, filed by Gregory Mantell and Steven Kramer, against Fulton County DA Fani Willis.
March 5: Fulton County Board of Ethics decides it does not have the authority to remove Willis from the election interference case because she is representing the case. They decide not to hear the complaints.
March 5: Cobb County prosecutor claims Terrence Bradley told her about Willis-Wade relationship and she overheard Willis warning Bradley over the telephone.
March 6: Attorney Ashleigh Merchant testifies before Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations about investigation into Willis-Wade.
March 15: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rules the Defendants failed to prove the Willis acquired an actual conflict of interest in the case or financially benefited from hiring Wade, but either Willis or Wade must step aside.
March 20: Judge Scot McAfee allows Trump to appeal Fani Willis disqualification ruling.
May 16: Georgia Appeals Court grants Trumps appeal on Fani Willis Case.
June 3: Georgia Appeals Court tentative date of October 4 to determine disqualification of Fani Willis.
June 5: Georgia appeals court has indefinitely paused proceedings in Donald Trump’s Atlanta-based criminal case.
- Preface: Final [Last Updated On: October 7th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2023]
- Chapter 15: 1995: The secret deceitful underhanded revisionist political Marker Change at Mary Phagan's Grave by the Parks and Tourism Committee, Marietta City Council and the Jewish Community. Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2023]
- Chapter 13: 1987-1988 Mary Phagan NBC "Docudrama" Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2023]
- Chapter 17: 2003: Steve Oney Publishes Book Final [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2023]
- Chapter 16: 1998: Parade the Broadway musical is a corruption of history and radical attempt to whitewash a horrible murder and pin it on Jim Conley, a Negro Final [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2024] [Originally Added On: November 5th, 2023]
- INTRODUCTION: FINAL [Last Updated On: April 3rd, 2024] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2023]
- Chapter 18: Leo Frank Historical Marker Approved in 2006; Dedicated 2008 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2024]
- Chapter 19: PBS Documentary: The People vs Leo Frank: 2008; Seeking Justice The Leo Frank Case Revisited: 2009 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 8th, 2024]
- Chapter 20: 100 years: 2013 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 14th, 2024]
- Chapter 26: Phagan Family Position Paper 2021 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 14th, 2024]
- Chapter 25: Jonathan Greenblatt: August 17, 2023, 2022, 2021 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 14th, 2024]
- Chapter 21: 2015: 100 years after Leo Frank Lynching Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 15th, 2024]
- Chapter 22: 2019: Fulton County Conviction Integrity Unit [CIU] Established to Exonerate Leo Frank Final [Last Updated On: December 9th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2024]
- Chapter 27: Cobb Librarian Discusses the Lynching of Leo Frank: 2023 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: January 23rd, 2024]
- Contents: Final [Last Updated On: August 13th, 2024] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2024]
- Glossary: Final [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2024] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2024]
- Appendix [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2024] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2024]
- Dramatis Personae/Who's Who: Final [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2024] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2024]
- Epilogue: Final [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2024] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2024]
- Chapter 24: Roy Barnes Mercer Law School (November 12, 2019) Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2024]
- Chapter 23: Fulton County Paul Howard defeated by Fani Willis; November 6, 2019 Final [Last Updated On: July 28th, 2024] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2024]
- Chapter 29: Seeking Justice for Little Mary Phagan: Add Newsletters 2-13 Here Phagan Family Newsletter Collection [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2024] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2024]