The Fani Willis Saga: Cast and Characters

Caught in the collision of a high-stakes prosecution of a former president and the secret romance between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade: who are the key figures, and what roles do they play?

The high-stakes prosecution of President Donald Trump and several of his associates in Georgia is now mired in controversy following the revelation of a secret love affair between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought the indictment last year, and Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she appointed to oversee the case. The scandal now represents a potentially fatal blow to what many observers considered the strongest criminal case against the former president.

The controversy began when explosive allegations emerged in court documents filed by Trump's co-defendant, Michael Roman, a former campaign advisor. Roman accused Willis of having an improper and secretive relationship with Wade, claiming that Willis not only engaged in a “clandestine” affair but also benefited financially through her romantic involvement with Wade. Allegations of the affair were bolstered by a series of lavish vacations that Willis and Wade enjoyed, financed by Wade using a business card linked to funds received from his role in the Trump prosecution. 

Those allegations prompted Judge Scott McAfee, the Fulton County judge overseeing the case against Trump and his co-defendants, to hold an evidentiary hearing on February 15 and 16. Judge McAfee concluded that the claim had moved beyond mere speculation, especially since the state had acknowledged the existence of such a relationship. The hearing was aimed at examining the nature of Willis and Wade's relationship and determining whether Willis financially benefited from the affair, which could result in her disqualification from the case.

During the hearing, testimony from Willis, Wade, and their associates painted a complex picture of their interactions and financial dealings. While Willis and Wade denied any romantic involvement prior to 2022, their claims were contradicted by evidence, including cell phone geolocation records and extensive communication logs, suggesting a far earlier start to their affair.

Here’s a look at the key figures central to the ongoing controversy, whose names are likely to resurface as the saga continues to unfold.

Fani Willis assumed the role of Fulton County District Attorney in January 2021 after unseating the six-term incumbent, Paul Howard, in the 2020 election. A recent Breitbart News report revealed that Nathan Wade—who Willis first encountered at a training conference for new municipal court judges in October 2019 and with whom she later became romantically involved—was appointed to lead her transition team. The report emphasized Nathan Wade's critical influence over hiring and firing decisions at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. 

​​Additionally, Nathan Wade disclosed in a sworn affidavit that in the spring of 2021, Willis enlisted his help, along with “two other attorneys,” to identify a competent and trustworthy lawyer to lead the Trump investigation. As luck, or influence, would have it, Wade was appointed in November 2021 to spearhead the investigation. In August 2023, Willis with great fanfare announced the indictment against Trump and 18 co-defendants on numerous charges under the state’s version of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act.

Nathan Wade was presenting at an October 2019 conference when he first met Fani Willis, according to testimony and sworn statements submitted in court filings. At the time, Wade practiced as a private attorney in Atlanta specializing in personal injury, family law, and criminal defense. 

Court documents and testimony indicate that Wade, who is married and undergoing divorce proceedings, became closely acquainted with Willis shortly after they met. Both Wade and Willis have stated that their romantic involvement did not commence until 2022, subsequent to Willis's appointment of Wade and the finalization of his contract with her office on November 1, 2021. The next day, Wade filed for divorce. 

As of now, Fulton County records and invoices made available through court filings show that Nathan Wade has received at least $705,976 from the DA’s office for his role as special prosecutor since January 2022, an amount significantly higher than payments to other prosecutors in the case. 

Recent court filings, supported by subpoenaed cell phone records, reveal a timeline that contradicts previous statements made by Willis and Wade. These records indicate that Wade visited the condo where Willis resided at least 35 times between April 1, 2021, and November 30, 2021. Furthermore, the records disclosed more than 2,000 voice calls between Willis and Wade, alongside nearly 12,000 text and other messaging interactions over an 11-month period in 2021.

On November 2, 2021, just one day after formalizing his contract with Willis, Nathan Wade filed for divorce from Joycelyn Wade. The couple had separated in August 2021 after nearly 24 years of marriage; at the time of the separation, Nathan Wade was deeply involved in Willis’s administrative, strategic, and, as it appears, personal activities. 

Court documents from the Cobb County divorce proceedings indicate that Nathan Wade did not inform Joycelyn Wade about his new role under Willis or the substantial income he was receiving. The filings describe Nathan Wade leaving Joycelyn Wade “with little means of financial support while simultaneously spending tens of thousands of dollars per month on a very lavish lifestyle.” Additionally, the divorce filings indicate that Nathan Wade consistently failed to meet discovery obligations, hindering Joycelyn Wade's attempts to secure basic financial information. 

In May 2023, Nathan Wade responded to a series of interrogatories posed by Joycelyn Wade. He was to detail any extramarital sexual relations and describe any social or entertainment engagements with individuals of the opposite sex not related by blood or marriage, including at restaurants, bars, hotels, or homes, since their marriage began. Initially, Nathan Wade's responses were uniformly “None.” However, after the filing of Roman’s motion alleging an affair between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, he amended his previous denials, opting instead to decline response by asserting “privacy” privileges.

In a recent interview with 11Alive, Joycelyn Wade’s attorney, Andrea Hastings, disclosed that she and her client first became aware of Nathan Wade’s appointment through media reports in September 2023. Hastings also revealed that it was not until December 2023 that Joycelyn and her legal team became aware of the romantic relationship between Nathan Wade and Fani Willis. This revelation came after Hastings had pushed to reopen files in the divorce proceedings, spurred by their initial discovery of Wade's lucrative contract with Willis' office. The financial documents suggested a deeper, non-professional relationship between Willis and Wade, revealing travel expenses for the pair to destinations such as Aruba and Napa Valley. Hastings also stated her belief that the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade is still ongoing.

The public first became aware of the secret love affair between Willis and Wade in January following a motion filed by Michael Roman, one of 15 co-defendants in the Trump prosecution. In his motion, Roman sought to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Fani Willis and Nathan Wade from any further involvement in the case. He cited conflicts of interest, alleging an improper and secret relationship between Willis and Wade that predates Wade's appointment as special prosecutor. Roman also questioned Wade's experience with felony prosecutions, particularly complex RICO cases, and accused Willis of financially benefiting from the relationship, pointing to vacations paid for with funds from Wade's compensation as special prosecutor.

Ashleigh Merchant serves as the defense attorney for Michael Roman in the Trump case. Following the RICO indictment, Merchant initiated open records requests with Willis’ office. These requests sought contracts for the appointment of specific vendors, including Nathan Wade, and records related to payments and invoices. In September 2023, Terrence Bradley, Nathan Wade’s former law partner and former divorce attorney, began communicating with Merchant regarding the affair between Willis and Wade. Bradley’s subsequent communication with Merchant was disclosed during his testimony in a February 16 hearing before Judge McAfee.

Seizing upon the developments surrounding Willis and Wade, Merchant filed the bombshell motion on behalf of Michael Roman on January 8, 2024. This motion sought to disqualify Willis and Wade from any further participation in the Trump prosecution. The allegations, confirmed by Merchant with Terrence Bradley prior to the filing, prompted this month’s evidentiary hearing.

Terrence Bradley, previously a law firm partner with Nathan Wade, represented him in divorce proceedings up until September 2022; Bradley also was contracted by Willis's office in January 2021 to perform legal tasks for the DA’s office including attending court appearances and conducting sensitive filter review work. His involvement with the DA's office ended in the summer of 2022, which coincided with the termination of his business partnership with Wade. Testimony disclosed that this partnership concluded due to allegations of sexual misconduct against Bradley within their law firm.

A Washington Examiner article published in September 2023 detailed payments from the DA's office to Wade and his associates, including Bradley. Bradley then contacted Ashleigh Merchant and disclosed information about the secret affair.

Robin Yeartie was an employee of the DA’s office and a longtime friend of Willis. Yeartie’s testimony revealed that she and Willis had a falling out around the spring of 2022 and have not spoken since. Additionally, Yeartie testified that in the spring of 2021, she moved out of her condo in Hapeville and allowed Willis to move in. Willis remained in her condo until early 2022. Yeartie testified with “no doubt" that the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade began in late 2019.