In a stunning development, the special prosecutor hired to lead the high-stakes Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants has abruptly resigned. Nathan Wade’s withdrawal follows weeks of tumultuous hearings examining allegations that he had an undisclosed romantic relationship with the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis before she hired him in 2021.
The resignation, tendered in a letter to Willis citing “the interest of democracy” and a desire to “move this case forward as quickly as possible,” came just hours after a judge gave Willis an ultimatum – either Wade steps aside, or she must be disqualified from prosecuting Trump.
The case, which utilizes Georgia’s racketeering laws typically used against mobsters, accuses Trump and allies of a “criminal enterprise” to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, has denied wrongdoing.
In his resignation letter, Wade said he was “proud of the work” prosecutors had done so far on a case that could represent one of Trump’s most daunting legal threats. For her part, Willis applauded Wade’s “professionalism and dignity” in the face of “threats” and “unjustified attacks” related to the relationship allegations.
The surprise resignation capped weeks of salacious testimony and legal wrangling over whether Willis was romantically involved with Wade at the time she awarded his law firm a lucrative contract to help prosecute Trump and his allies. Four defendants accused the pair of crossing ethical lines by vacationing together while Wade’s firm billed over $650,000 in taxpayer money.
Allegations of a Romantic Entanglement
The allegations first surfaced publicly in December when Michael Roman, a Republican operative charged in the case, filed a motion claiming Willis and Wade had an undisclosed conflict of interest due to their “prolific” romantic relationship preceding Wade’s hiring.
Roman’s attorney Ashleigh Merchant argued in hearings that financial records and testimony from witnesses would prove Willis and Wade traveled and dined together, sharing expenses in a manner inconsistent with merely professional colleagues.
Perhaps the most explosive testimony came from Robin Yeartie, a former friend and employee of Willis, who said under oath she had “no doubt” Willis and Wade were romantically involved as early as 2019 after meeting at a conference. Yeartie claimed to have witnessed them “hugging,” “kissing,” and showing outward “affection” prior to Wade’s official hire.
In an audacious move appearing to gamble on her credibility, Willis took the stand herself to directly contradict Yeartie. Some legal experts criticized her “belligerent” demeanor during fiery cross-examination by defense attorneys. She verbally sparred for hours, at one point prompting the judge to threaten striking her entire testimony. Observers also raised eyebrows over Willis appearing to wear her dress backwards to court.
The defense’s purported star witness, Terrence Bradley – Wade’s former divorce attorney and law partner – failed to decisively corroborate the romance claims under oath, repeatedly saying he couldn’t recall details from his prior conversations about the relationship with his then-client Wade.
In a last-ditch effort, Merchant referenced text messages suggesting Bradley had previously told her “absolutely” when asked if Willis and Wade’s relationship predated the 2021 hiring. However, on the stand, Bradley waffled on recollecting specifics.
An Appearance of Impropriety
While acknowledging the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving” an actual conflict of interest stemming from a personal relationship, Judge Robert McAfee cited a “significant appearance of impropriety” requiring structural changes.
In his March 15th order giving Willis the ultimatum, McAfee wrote that the “established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed.”
With Wade’s resignation tendered just hours later, that structural change appears to involve his departure. However, key questions remain about how his exit could impact the trajectory of one of the most consequential legal cases in American political history.
The prosecution’s future now rests solely on the shoulders of Willis, a progressive and polarizing District Attorney who has embraced an activist mantle by taking on nationally-significant cases like the Trump election allegations and a separate probe of the “racist” killing of Ahmaud Arbery.
Some conservative critics have accused Willis of pursuing prosecutions as a vehicle for partisan posturing and self-promotion. Trump himself has derided her as a “Radical Left” prosecutor mounting an “Unconstitutional Witch Hunt” against him.
Those close to Willis counter that she is simply following the evidence wherever it leads. In her acceptance of Wade’s resignation, she made a point of praising him as “brave” and highlighting how he “endured threats” related to the controversial case.
The Road Ahead
With Wade’s exit behind them, Willis and what remains of her team must now reset and plow forward with prosecuting the sweeping RICO case alleging Trump and his allies engaged in a conspiracy to reverse his legitimate election loss through false claims of voter fraud.
High-profile lawyers like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Trump White House advisors like John Eastman could potentially take the stand. Internal White House records, emails, texts, and transcripts from Congressional testimony have been cited as expected evidence.
The prosecution will likely contend this amounts to far more than simply pushing claims later found to be inaccurate – arguing it represented a broader criminal effort to undermine the peaceful transfer of power through deception.
Trump’s defense is expected to frame the allegations as overreach persecuting a standard advocacy effort – one which numerous officials and judges previously found unconvincing through the proper legal channels, but not necessarily criminal in nature.
The political implications for the 2024 campaign trail are hard to overstate. A conviction could potentially bar Trump from holding federal office ever again under a post-Civil War statute. However, an acquittal after subjecting him to a lengthy televised trial could galvanize supporters outraged by the process.
With Wade’s resignation, the future of the prosecution now depends on Willis convincingly changing any “appearance of impropriety” while overcoming immense pressure from all sides. The eyes of the nation remain intensely focused on the Fulton County courthouse as this generational legal drama continues to unfold.
