Nathan Wade’s ex-divorce lawyer blurts out, ‘Oh dang’ as he’s presented with damning texts in Fani Willis trial
Nathan Wade’s former divorce attorney and law partner was heard muttering, “oh dang” to himself when presented with damning evidence about his ex-client’s relationship timeline in court Tuesday.
Terrence Bradley was presented with a series of text messages he had sent to a defense attorney, prompting the outburst at the corruption hearing into Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis on Tuesday.
Until that point, Bradley had repeatedly denied any knowledge of the relationship numerous times during the course of questioning by multiple lawyers.
In the texts Bradley was asked if he believed the couple’s relationship began before Willis appointed Wade to lead the state’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in November 2021.
“Absolutely,” Bradley wrote in the text to defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, according to the phone records read in court.
The message continued: “It started when she left the DA’s office and was a judge in South Fulton. They met at the municipal court CLE conference.”
As Merchant read over the messages Bradley whispered, “oh dang” to himself.
However, when then questioned in court about the timeline of Willis and Wade’s relationship, Bradley — once billed as the star witness in the hearings — claimed he “speculated on some things” in the text exchange and did not have direct knowledge of what actually occurred.
His response puzzled and frustrated the disbelieving defense lawyers.
“Why in the heck would you ‘speculate’?” Trump lawyer Steve Sadow shot back.
“I have no answer for that,” Bradley testified.
He also claimed he does not remember why he texted Merchant with a different timeline of the relationship, according to video of the court proceedings.
“I do not have knowledge of it starting or when it started,” Bradley said.
“I never witnessed anything, so you know, it was speculation.”
Bradley admitted he discussed the relationship once with Wade in their law office, but on the stand said he could not recall exactly when that happened.
He also acknowledged when Merchant sent him a draft of her motion, the only error he said he found was related to a payment.
The motion, however, alleged Willis and Wade’s relationship began before Wade filed for divorce in 2021 and before Willis appointed him to oversee the election fraud investigation in November of that year.
What to know about District Attorney Fani Willis' trial
- Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis is being accused of misusing state and federal funds, and also engaging in an “improper” relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
- Willis admitted to having a “personal relationship” with Wade, but said it didn’t become romantic until after 2022 due to the case against former President Donald Trump.
- Willis hired Wade to work on the Trump case and paid him $654,000 in 2022, according to Trump co-defendant Michael Roman.
- Trump and his co-defendants are looking to disqualify Willis from the case and to have all charges, centered around the state’s expansive anti-racketeering RICO law, dismissed.
- The defense has presented dozens of pings from Wade’s cellphone that placed it at Willis’ rented condo prior to 2022. A former friend of Willis, who owned the condo, has testified that she saw the two of them “hugging” and “kissing” in 2019.
- On March 15, a judge ruled Willis can stay on and prosecute the Georgia election interference case against Trump and his co-defendants for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election — if Wade steps aside.
Willis and Wade have told the court their relationship first became romantic in 2022 and have stuck by that story through their testimony, but lawyers for Trump and co-defendant Mike Roman have insisted they can prove otherwise.
He has previously conceded he stepped down from the law firm where he worked together with Wade following sexual assault allegations from a staffer.
Trump and his co-defendants are looking to disqualify Willis from the case and to have all charges, centered around the state’s expansive racketeering RICO law, dismissed.
The defendants have argued Willis and Wade compromised the integrity of the case as the district attorney financially benefited from Wade’s appointment.
Merchant has pointed to records that show Wade spending money on luxury travel for himself and Willis, bought with money earned from Fulton County’s coffers.
So far, the defense has also presented dozens of pings from Wade’s cellphone that place it at Willis’ rented condo in the early hours prior to 2022. A former friend of the district attorney, who owned the condo, has also testified she saw the two “hugging” and “kissing” in 2019.
Fulton County DA Ana Cross, however, suggested the ex-pal, Robin Yeartie, may have had an ax to grind after she resigned from her position as Willis’ media rep in 2021, with Yeartie herself testifying that she would have been fired if she hadn’t stepped down.
Closing arguments are set for Friday.
