Nathan Wade, the former legal advisor entangled in a storm of controversy alongside Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, has mysteriously vanished just as the U.S. House Judiciary Committee sought to question him about his personal and professional ties to the high-profile prosecutor.
The probe, spearheaded by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), aims to uncover whether Willis abused federal funds in her pursuit of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. Now, Wade’s sudden disappearance has added yet another layer of intrigue to a case already brimming with political tension and personal scandal.
The Judiciary Committee, which has issued over 100 subpoenas this year without significant difficulty, expressed frustration over Wade’s vanishing act. A spokesman from the committee, Russell Dye, called Wade’s disappearance “extremely unusual,” especially since the committee had been in communication with him before he seemingly dropped off the radar.
According to Dye, the committee may now have to utilize U.S. tax dollars to track Wade down—an expense that has raised eyebrows among lawmakers already wary of the mounting costs tied to this investigation.
Wade’s evasion of the House subpoena mirrors a pattern of resistance from those associated with Willis’ office. Earlier this year, Willis herself refused to accept a subpoena via email, forcing the House Judiciary Committee to dispatch U.S. Marshals to hand-deliver it. She later defied two more subpoenas, one from the Georgia State Senate and another from an attorney representing a Trump co-defendant, further intensifying scrutiny of her actions in the Trump investigation.
Wade’s abrupt departure from Willis’ office came after a judge ordered the two to resolve a conflict of interest related to their relationship. Although both have maintained that their romance began after Wade’s involvement in the Trump case, conflicting evidence suggests otherwise.
Phone records and testimony from a former friend of Willis point to a relationship that predates Wade’s official hiring, raising questions about potential nepotism and ethical violations. Wade reportedly earned up to $700,000 over two years for his work prosecuting Trump—a sum that has drawn even more attention in light of their alleged early entanglement.
Compounding the legal drama, Willis has found herself on the defensive. Attorneys for Trump are moving to dismiss the case, accusing her of "racial animus" after a public incident in which she claimed Trump was mocking her first name. This accusation, paired with the ever-expanding web of controversies surrounding her office, has placed the entire case on shaky ground. What once seemed like a robust legal effort is now teetering as each misstep is amplified under the glare of public and political scrutiny.
The situation became even more complicated when police body cam footage emerged from an incident last month involving Willis' daughter, who was arrested for driving with a suspended license. In the footage, both Willis and Wade arrived at the scene, with Wade introducing himself as a "family friend"—a statement that directly contradicts earlier claims that their relationship had ended. This incident has further muddled the narrative surrounding their personal ties and the integrity of the Trump prosecution.