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→Proceedings on prosecutorial impropriety: I thought this section could use a brief intro. I summarized: "After one of the co-defendants surfaced information about a romantic relationship between district attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, Judge McAfee ruled that one of them must leave the case, so Wade left. The Georgia Court of Appeals later ruled that Willis also must be removed. This issue delayed the case throughout 2024." |
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== Proceedings on prosecutorial impropriety ==
{{Redirect|Nathan Wade|the English lawyer (1666–1718)|Nathaniel Wade}}After one of the co-defendants surfaced information about a romantic relationship between district attorney [[Fani Willis]] and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, Judge McAfee ruled that one of them must leave the case, so Wade left. The Georgia Court of Appeals later ruled that Willis also must be removed. This issue delayed the case throughout 2024.
=== Background ===
On January 8, 2024, [[Mike Roman]]'s attorney filed with the court alleging that
Wade was concurrently involved with divorce proceedings from his wife, Joycelyn, which had also begun in November 2021. On January 8, 2024, Joycelyn's attorneys subpoenaed Willis to testify in the divorce case.<ref name="30Jan2024-AJC">{{Cite news |last1=Rankin |first1=Bill |last2=Minshew |first2=Charles |date=January 30, 2024 |title=Special counsel Wade settles divorce case, canceling court hearing |url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/special-counsel-wade-settles-divorce-case-negating-court-hearing/CJ3TOL6XMVBJJJHV5P5Y5WHPGM/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |language=English |issn=1539-7459}}</ref> On January 19, Joycelyn filed in her divorce case that Nathan had purchased a 2022 trip for himself and Willis to Miami with a [[Royal Caribbean International|Royal Caribbean]] cruise and a 2023 trip to San Francisco and a [[Napa Valley AVA|Napa Valley]] hotel. Clara Bowman (reportedly Nathan's mother) came too.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rankin |first=Bill |date=January 19, 2024 |title=Bank records: DA Willis and special prosecutor traveled together during Trump probe |url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/bank-records-da-willis-and-special-prosecutor-traveled-together-during-trump-probe/ZNDCH5RHDFGC5CKRWNS7HI2R5M/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125194817/https://www.ajc.com/politics/bank-records-da-willis-and-special-prosecutor-traveled-together-during-trump-probe/ZNDCH5RHDFGC5CKRWNS7HI2R5M/ |archive-date=January 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-01-19 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |language=English |issn=1539-7459}}</ref> On January 22, a judge in Cobb County Superior Court unsealed the records of the Wades' ongoing divorce.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 22, 2024 |title=Timeline of allegations against Fulton DA Fani Willis |url=https://www.ajc.com/politics/a-timeline-of-allegations-against-fulton-da-fani-willis/NTOBQ42LYVFKXDDYRSEJUWDIBE/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125141302/https://www.ajc.com/politics/a-timeline-of-allegations-against-fulton-da-fani-willis/NTOBQ42LYVFKXDDYRSEJUWDIBE/ |archive-date=January 25, 2024 |access-date=2024-01-24 |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |language=English |issn=1539-7459}}</ref> The unsealed records had no reference to an alleged affair between Nathan and Willis.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Brumback |first1=Kate |last2=Richer |first2=Alanna Durkin |date=2024-01-22 |title=Judge orders the unsealing of divorce case of Trump special prosecutor in Georgia accused of affair |url=https://apnews.com/article/fani-willis-nathan-wade-affair-allegations-trump-e6cce17e3a4cd967e447620e2c1222ba |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=[[Associated Press]] |language=en}}</ref> On January 30, Nathan and Joycelyn Wade reached a temporary agreement on some of their issues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-30 |title=Nathan Wade divorce case: Couple reaches agreement ahead of scheduled hearing |url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/nathan-wade-joycelyn-wade-divorce-case-evidentiary-hearing-canceled |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=FOX 5 Atlanta |language=en-US}}</ref> Willis and Nathan had been scheduled to testify in the Wades' divorce, but their depositions were no longer needed.<ref name="30Jan2024-AJC" />
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