GEORGIA — Nathan Wade, the former Fulton County special prosecutor involved in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump, spoke exclusively to ABC News’ Linsey Davis for the first time Sunday since resigning from the case after a public disqualification battle over his relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis.
After Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling, stipulations of his ruling called for either Willis or Wade to step aside from the case due to a “significant appearance of impropriety” stemming from their romantic relationship that occurred while they were prosecuting the case.
Wade made the decision to step aside saying, “Although the court found that ‘the defendants failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest,’ I am offering my resignation in the interest of democracy, in dedication to the American public, and move this case forward as quickly as possible.”
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Wade conceded he had “certain” regrets about the relationship to ABC. He provided a unique analogy to express why what occurred between him and the district attorney is common.
“Workplace romances are as American as apple pie,” Wade told Davis. “It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us.”
When asked if he regretted his relationship with Willis, Wade expressed that it became the focal point of what people cared about.
“I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution,” Wade said to Davis. “This is a very important case.”
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“I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case,” he continued.
Willis and Wade’s relationship first came to light in a motion filed by an attorney for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman that sought to have the indictment dismissed and to bar Willis and Wade and their offices from continuing to prosecute the case.
Throughout the last few months, Willis and Wade have acknowledged the relationship, which they said ended last summer, but they have argued it does not create any sort of conflict and has no bearing on the case.
McAfee determined there was “insufficient evidence” that an actual conflict of interest existed.
Trump and other defendants have sought an appeal of the judge’s ruling, seeking the removal of Willis as well. The Georgia Court of Appeals has not yet determined if they will take up the appeal.
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When asked by Davis if he thought to put the relationship “on pause” until after the case is over given “democracy is on the line,” Wade conceded he did -- but that “the feelings are so strong.”
“Absolutely, absolutely. I’ll concede that that could have been, an approach,” said Wade, who has since returned to private practice. “But there again, when you are in the middle of it, these feelings are developing and you get to a point where the feelings are, are so strong that, you know, you start to want to do things that really are none of the public’s concern.”
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