The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Chairman Jim Jordan, has released the transcript of Nathan Wade’s closed-door testimony, shedding new light on the misconduct happening behind-the-scenes in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia.
Wade, the former lover hired by District Attorney Fani Willis as a special prosecutor in the Trump case, provided insight into the controversial early stages of the Trump investigation and his own role in the case.
According to Wade’s testimony, Willis began planning to prosecute Trump even before taking office in January 2021.
Wade stated that he was contacted about serving on a search committee for a special prosecutor “sometime after the election, but prior to her taking office.”
Q: I want to now pivot to talking about your appointment as special prosecutor for the Fulton County District Attorney[‘s] Office. So who contacted you first about the special prosecutor position?
WADE: So this is an interesting story or series of events, how this came about […] I was a part of a search committee, if you will, for the then-newly elected district attorney.
Q: And can you provide dates for when you were part of the search committee?
WADE: Oh, God, I cannot. I’m sorry.
Q: If it’s helpful, DA Willis came into office on January 1st of 2021. Is that a helpful time frame?
WADE: It is. So January 1st, I was a part of the search committee for that newly elected district attorney, and we were tasked with trying to identify someone who would serve as lead counsel on the election interference investigation […] Eventually, I guess the committee turned their guns on me and started trying to convince me to accept the role…
Q: And so the search committee, you said that began when DA Willis took office on January 1, 2021. Is that correct
WADE: Yes.
Q: And was there outreach to you to be part of the search committee prior to January 1, 2021?
WADE: Absolutely.16
Q: And when did that start?
WADE: Sometime after the election, but prior to her taking office.
Wade admitted he relevant experience for the position his former lover hired him for, including never having worked in a district attorney’s office or on a RICO case.
To prepare for his role, Wade attended what he called “RICO school” and received mentoring from John Floyd, whom he described as the “godfather of RICO.”
The testimony also brought to light meetings between Wade and White House officials — potential coordination between the Fulton County DA’s office and the Biden administration.
Wade confirmed billing the county for an eight-hour conference “with White House Counsel” on May 23, 2022, at a rate of $250 per hour. Wade claimed, conveniently, that he could not remember who he’d spoken to at the time.
Q: Do you remember who your contact was at the White House counsel’s office?
WADE: I do not.
Q: Would it be you that would have reached out to the White House counsel’s office?
WADE: Possibly.
Q: So I was asking if he remembered whether you would have had a paralegal, someone that was on your team, or an assistant reach out to schedule this conf with White House counsel?
WADE: I don’t recall.
Q: Okay. Do you remember who attended this conf with White House counsel?
WADE: I don’t recall.
Q: Is it safe to assume, since you billed for the conf with White House counsel, that you attended this conf with White House counsel?
WADE: Yes.
Q: Okay. Do you remember if it was in person or by telephone?
WADE: I don’t recall.
Similar convenient memory lapses were reported for other billed meetings, including a November 18, 2022 “Interview with DC/White House” and multiple interactions with “individuals associated with the January 6th Committee.”
The release of Wade’s testimony comes in the wake of his resignation from the Trump case in March after his lover affair with Willis was made public. A judge’s ruled at the time that either Wade or Willis had to step down.
Throughout his testimony, Wade used phrases like “I can’t recall,” “I don’t recall,” or “I don’t know” nearly 60 times, particularly when pressed about specific meetings or communications related to the Trump case.
The transcript also revealed Wade’s explanation for hiding from the congressional subpoena.
He claimed a series of very convenient events, including a basketball injury, use of prescription pain medication, and his habit of turning off his phone while preparing for legal proceedings, kept U.S. Marshals from finding him.
Willis had attempted to prevent Wade from testifying, arguing that it could “improperly divulge confidential information” about the ongoing Trump investigation. However, her efforts were unsuccessful, leading to Wade’s testimony and the transcripts release.
The revelations from Wade’s testimony have intensified Republican scrutiny of the Fulton County DA’s office and its handling of the Trump case.