Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis paid her alleged romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to work at a higher hourly rate on the case against former President Donald Trump than she contracted one of the state’s leading racketeering experts, according to documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
John Floyd, who wrote a book on federal and state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes and is considered Georgia’s top expert, entered into a contract with the Fulton County District Attorney’s office on March 10, 2021 at an hourly rate of $150 per hour, according to a contract obtained by the DCNF. Nathan Wade, who Willis appointed special prosecutor, was retained at a rate of $250 per hour, according to the contract contained in court documents — though Willis claimed Sunday all her special counsels were paid the same rate.
A Trump co-defendant claimed in a motion seeking to dismiss the case last week that Willis benefited from awarding Wade, allegedly her romantic partner, a “lucrative” contract because he used payments he received for his position to take her on cruises and vacations. Wade filed for divorce from his wife on Nov. 2, 2021, the day after his contract to work under Willis began.
Willis responded to the allegations for the first time Sunday in remarks made at Big Bethel AME Church, claiming she paid all three special counsels on the Trump case the same hourly rate, and that one special counsel, an indirect reference to Wade, was only being attacked because of his race.
Willis appeared to defend her hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Without mentioning Wade by name, Willis said she hired three special prosecutors to work on the case and “paid them all the same hourly rate.”
But critics only attack the one who is a Black man, she said. pic.twitter.com/XJQtrnqfbL
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) January 14, 2024
“I’m a little confused. I appointed three special counsels, as is my right to do, paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attack one,” Willis said. “I hired one white woman, a good personal friend and great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man, brilliant, my friend and a great lawyer. And I hired one black man, another superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer … First thing they say: ‘oh, she [is going to] play the race card now.” (Read more: The Daily Caller, 1/15/2024) (Archive)