Georgia lawmakers are questioning former special prosecutor Nathan Wade about Trump’s election

ATLANTA (AP) — State senators on Friday questioned the former special prosecutor who led the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump about communications his team had with federal investigators. But their efforts were largely frustrated by his repeated assertions that he could not remember the details.

Nathan Wade appeared before a subcommittee of the Special Committee on Investigations, which was created by the Republican-controlled state Senate in January 2024 to examine various allegations of misconduct against Fulton County District Attorney Fanny Willis, an elected Democrat, in connection with her prosecution of Trump.

Read more: Prosecutor drops Georgia election interference case against Trump after affair with prosecutor

While the committee met several times to hear from witnesses, including a combative appearance by Willis in December, it discovered little that was not already known. Republicans have expanded the committee’s mission to also include the case of Democrat Stacey Abrams, but the committee has not done anything publicly with it yet.

Willis obtained an indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023. Using Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, she alleged they participated in a broad conspiracy to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss in Georgia. Four people pleaded guilty in the months after reaching plea deals with prosecutors.

The resolution establishing the commission focused on appointing Wade as special prosecutor, saying the romantic relationship between him and Willis amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and defrauding taxpayers” of the county and state. The Court of Appeal in December 2024 removed Willis from the case, finding that the relationship created an “appearance of impropriety,” and the new prosecutor dismissed it last November.

While senators asked Wade about his appointment — including the timing and how he was chosen — there was no mention of his romantic relationship with Willis. The opening statement that Wade read at the beginning of the hearing indicated that there had been an agreement in advance not to discuss any personal relationship.

Focus on invoices

Mostly, however, Senator Greg Dolezal asked Wade about his bills, particularly several billing entries that appeared to indicate contact with the US House of Representatives committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and meetings with US Justice Department officials. But Wade repeatedly said he could not remember when the trips or calls took place, who he met or talked to, who on his team participated or what was discussed.

Wade also responded by saying that there seemed to be too much focus on who the team was talking to, but maintained that the investigative work was done by Willis’ assembled team.

“She led us, I led the team and we did the work,” he said. “We had no help or coordination, however you want to call it. No one held her hand and guided her through the process. This is her job.”

Wade also defended the integrity of the case against Trump and others.

He added, “The investigation had no political motives or influences.” “Instead, it was an independent investigation based on facts, interviews, evidence and the rule of law.”

The lawmaker says the testimony raises questions

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Dolezal acknowledged that he did not get everything he wanted. “Look, I wish Mr. Wade had a better memory,” he said, adding that he appreciated Wade appearing and answering questions “to the best of his recollection.”

But Dolezal said he was glad he confirmed that Wade and his team had met with someone connected to the Jan. 6 investigation and that they had been in contact with Justice Department officials. He said that this raises questions about the extent of coordination in the attempt to “undermine Trump.”

“The idea that this was part of a grand conspiracy is absolute fantasy,” Wade’s attorney, Andrew Evans, said. He accused Republican senators of trying to use the committee to divert focus from real issues that are not in their favor as the midterm elections approach.

Including Dolezal, who is running for lieutenant governor, four of the five Republicans on the committee are running for statewide office in 2026. Bill Cosert is running for attorney general, while Sens. Blake Tillery and Steve Gooch are also seeking the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor. Another Republican who sat on the committee, John Kennedy, resigned to pursue his bid for lieutenant governor. Only Dolezal and Cowsert attended Friday’s subcommittee meeting.

The subcommittee also heard testimony Friday from Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Jeff DeSantis, who handles media relations for Willis’ office. He was asked about Wade’s appointment, which he said he was not aware of until it was decided upon, and about the Attorney General’s Office’s use of a media monitoring service.