A judge indicated the day before a scheduled hearing in Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s divorce case that Wade and his estranged wife, Jocelyn Wade, had reached a temporary agreement, canceling Wednesday’s divorce proceedings and the possibility of testimony about Wade’s alleged relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Nathan Wade is one of the attorneys handling the prosecution of former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants on RICO charges related to electoral interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. Willis hired Wade to handle the case.
The divorce gained national attention because attorneys for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman claimed in a document in the Georgia election tampering case that Nathan Wade had a romantic relationship with Willis.
The filing stated no proof, but documents from the divorce confirmed these assertions. Roman is seeking to have the accusations against him dismissed “on the grounds that the entire prosecution is invalid and unconstitutional,” saying that both Willis and Wade benefited financially from the arrangement.
Last Monday, lawyers for Trump and co-defendant Bob Cheeley joined Roman’s bid to disqualify Willis from Georgia’s election meddling case, citing a conflict of interest resulting from Willis’ appointment of her putative love partner as a prosecutor in the case.
Jocelyn Wade filed an exhibit in the couple’s divorce proceedings on Friday, purporting to prove her husband’s credit card spending history. According to the document, Nathan Wade purchased tickets for himself and Willis for flights to and from San Francisco and Miami.
Judge Henry R. Thompson issued an order on Tuesday indicating that the parties had reached a “agreement as to all issues presently before the Court” and that the accord was “just and proper in these circumstances.”
The terms of the temporary arrangement will not be made public since the Wades agreed not to register it with the court, according to the document.
“While this eliminates the need for an immediate hearing, it does not resolve the case,” Jocelyn Wade’s attorney, Andrea Hastings, said in a statement Tuesday night.
“It simply means that the issues of temporary alimony and attorney’s fees, which were scheduled to be heard by the Court on January 31st, have been resolved. Now that our client has the financial resources to support herself while this matter is continuing, we can focus on the hard job of bringing it to a close, whether by settlement or trial.”
Nathan Wade and his lawyer, Scott Kimbrough, declined to comment.
Attorneys for Jocelyn Wade had subpoenaed Willis to testify in the divorce proceedings, which Willis opposed. Judge Thompson had stated that he would not rule on whether Willis should testify until Nathan Wade was deposed, which Wade may not be required to do due to the temporary agreement.
Although Willis is no longer compelled to testify in the Wade divorce proceedings, the court in the Trump election interference case is still awaiting her response to Trump, Cheeley, and Roman’s pleadings. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has not commented on the charges, stating that it will react in court documents. Judge Scott McAfee ordered Willis’ office until Friday, February 2, to do so.