Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is facing allegations of pay discrepancies within her office, raising further concerns about her conduct. The accusations involve Nathan Wade, an attorney allegedly in a romantic relationship with Willis, who reportedly billed the DA’s office $250 per hour for his work on the prosecution against former President Donald Trump. In contrast, another prosecutor on the team, John Floyd, with significant experience in Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) cases, billed $100 less at $150 per hour during the same period.
The pay disparity adds another layer to the controversy surrounding Willis and Wade’s alleged relationship, which has drawn criticism and accusations of impropriety. Court records suggest that Willis hired Wade as a special prosecutor for the Trump case, and there are claims that the relationship resulted in financial benefits, including luxurious vacations funded by the fees Wade’s firm received for their work on the case. These allegations have raised concerns about the integrity of the prosecution against Trump, with calls for the entire district attorney’s office, including Willis and Wade, to be disqualified from handling the case.
The revelations come on the heels of accusations that Willis and Wade were engaged in an “improper” and “clandestine” affair during the time appointments were being made for the 2020 election interference case. The accuser, Trump’s co-defendant Michael Roman, argues that the affair compromises the case’s integrity, urging the charges against him to be dropped. Willis, speaking on the matter at a church event in Atlanta, defended herself, claiming she treated all three special prosecutors, including Wade, Floyd, and Anna Cross, equally by paying them the same hourly rate of $250. However, the accusations and controversies surrounding Willis and her office have cast a cloud over the high-profile case against Trump, raising questions about the fairness and impartiality of the legal proceedings.
Fulton County records reveal that Wade has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022, an amount authorized by Willis. The pay disparity between Wade and Floyd, coupled with the allegations of an improper relationship and financial benefits, intensifies the scrutiny on Willis and the ongoing legal battle against Trump. As the legal drama unfolds, concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical lapses within the district attorney’s office may impact the credibility of the case and the public’s trust in the judicial process.