Fani Willis Hearing Could Be Upended by Nathan Wade Texts

Text messages between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade could be key in determining whether she is disqualified from Donald Trump's election-interference case, an attorney has said.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Andrew Weissmann, the former general counsel for the FBI, said text messages between the pair are something that those following the case should keep an eye out for.

Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, gave evidence in a two-day hearing. It followed accusations by former Trump staffer and co-defendant Michael Roman that she was having an affair with Wade, a special prosecutor she hired in the high-profile case. Newsweek has contacted Willis via LinkedIn for comment.

Willis is running the case against Trump and 18 others who are accused in a 41-count indictment of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia.

The former president pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges against him and has said the case is politically motivated because he is the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination.

Roman said Willis and Wade had benefited financially from taxpayers' money. The pair later admitted they had a romantic relationship, but denied a conflict of interest. In response, Roman said that the pair's relationship started earlier than they had disclosed.

After the hearing, Judge Scott McAfee said he would review text messages sent between Wade and his former law partner Terrence Bradley.

Trump's team said that the messages show Wade committed perjury over his disclosures about when his relationship with Willis started.

Weissmann wrote: "What to keep an eye out for in GA [Georgia] hearing: there's uncontradicted evidence of Willis-Wade going dutch (the issue the judge said he cared about). Will that change? New evidence Wade did use cash apps (which Willis says she believed he didn't use, so she paid in cash)?"

Weissmann added: "Will the judge admit Wade's attorney's texts and, if so, do they contradict the Wade-Willis testimony re when the personal relationship started (which is not really all that relevant to the $ issue, which the ct said is his main focus)?"

Following the hearing, a series of legal analysts said they did not think Willis would be disqualified from the case.

Barbara McQuade is a former U.S. attorney under the Barack Obama administration and MSNBC legal analyst. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: "Fani Willis made a terrible decision to date Nathan Wade, and that may bring ethics issues for her, but her testimony dispelled any kickback scheme that would disqualify her. Nothing about this affects the fair trial rights of Trump and co-defendants."

However, Georgia lawyer Doug Weinstein wrote that he was disappointed in Willis in an X post on Sunday.

"I respect her and her office, and putting the Trump trial at risk in this fashion, even if she did nothing wrong, demonstrates poor judgment. Regardless of how the judge rules, it is difficult to deny the appearance of impropriety," Weinstein wrote.

If Willis is removed from the case, another district attorney, or state Attorney General Christopher Carr, a Republican, could take over the prosecution. Her removal could also lead to the case being delayed.