Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) blasted House Republicans for “politically motivated tactics” as a former top prosecutor on the Jan 6 case appeared for a deposition with the House Judiciary Committee.
Nathan Wade, a former special prosecutor working alongside Willis on former President Trump’s election interference case, stepped down from his role after it was revealed the two had a personal relationship.
Wade is the subject of just one of many investigative threads launched by House Republicans into the Georgia Trump case, including one ignited in January when news broke that he and Willis had a romantic relationship.
Ahead of Wade’s scheduled Tuesday testimony, a letter from Willis to both the committee and to Wade indicated her office opposed the sharing of any details about the ongoing case.
“Questions about the substace of Mr. Wade’s work in the case would implicate information that is protected by the deliberative process privilege, attorney-client privilege, and work-product privilege, among others,” Willis wrote.
“Asking witnesses to share legally protected, non-public information about pending prosecutions may cause them to violate their confidentiality obligations under professional ethics rules. In addition, the release of this legally protected information may also prejudice defendants, victims, or witnesses, or affect the overall integrity of proceedings.”
A similar letter to Wade noted that her office is “asserting all applicable legal protections and privileges over the information you obtained as a result of as Special Counsel to this Office.”
The committee responded on X asking, “What is she trying to hide?”
Wade appeared Tuesday morning flanked by his attorney, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has launched a series of probes into the various prosecutions of Trump, previously asking Willis and special counsel Jack Smith to turn over all documents and communications about their cases.
With Wade, Jordan has asked for details about his compensation, as well as for any coordination he or the office may have had with figures at the Department of Justice.
Willis has consistently rebutted efforts by Jordan to gain access to information about her investigation and case against Trump, which has been put on pause.
In light of their romantic relationship, Wade resigned and Trump and others sued to remove Willis from the case. A Georgia judge allowed her to remain on the case, but an appeal has halted the case until December.
“I will continue to do everything in my power to protect the integrity of this criminal investigation and all others in which my office leads. My legal duty to protect the secrecy and integrity of all criminal investigations has been bestowed upon me by Federal, State and Local law,” she wrote Monday.
“And, I have no interest in waiving this responsibility for your politically motivated tactics.”
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