Fulton County DA subpoenaed in divorce proceedings of lead prosecutor in Trump case

CNN —

Fani Willis, the district attorney spearheading the Georgia racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his associates stemming from their actions following the 2020 election, has been subpoenaed to appear as a witness in her lead prosecutor’s divorce proceedings.

According to a court document obtained by CNN, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis received a witness subpoena earlier this week to appear at a deposition for the divorce of Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom Willis brought in to oversee the Trump case in late 2021.

In a bid to get the criminal case dismissed, one of Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election subversion case alleged without direct evidence in a court filing Monday that Willis improperly hired Wade, who was her romantic partner, to help prosecute the case and has financially benefitted from his appointment. The co-defendant’s lawyer argues the arrangement is a conflict of interest that disqualifies Wade, Willis and her office.

While the issue may not ultimately derail the prosecution, it raises questions and a potential optics problem for Willis. This scrutiny over her alleged relationship comes as the district attorney has faced a barrage of violent threats as well as political attacks. Trump and his allies have already seized on the recent allegation in a bid to discredit the RICO case, with the former president claiming Willis is “compromised.”

Willis’ office declined to comment on the subpoena to appear as part of Wade’s divorce proceedings. Pallavi Bailey, a spokesperson for the district attorney, told CNN earlier this week that her office will respond to Roman’s allegations “through appropriate court filings.”

Wade has not