Texts show a key witness confirming details of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ relationship with Nathan Wade to the defense attorney seeking to disqualify Willis from the case against former President Donald Trump.
Terrence Bradley, Wade’s former law partner and divorce attorney, sent a series of texts between September 2023 and January 2024 to Trump co-defendant Michael Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, confirming numerous details about the relationship and offering suggestions for who she could subpoena to establish the facts, according to screenshots obtained by Atlanta-based attorney Phil Holloway. Roman filed a motion Jan. 8 alleging Willis financially benefited from appointing Wade when he took her on vacations using funds earned from his contract with her office.
During the initial hearing on the motion earlier this month, Bradley declined to answer many questions posed by defense attorneys due to attorney-client privilege. Judge Scott McAfee ordered Bradley to take the stand again this week after finding during a closed-door meeting that some of his communications with Wade about the relationship with Willis were not protected under attorney-client privilege.
Bradley testified Tuesday that he “could not recall” details about their relationship, including when it began, even after some of his most recent texts from January were read.
“Do you think it started before she hired him?” Merchant asked in a text on Jan. 5 appearing to refer to Wade and Willis’ relationship.
Willis and Wade have maintained that their relationship did not start until 2022, after Wade was hired.
“Absolutely,” Bradley replied. “It started when she left the DA’s office.”
Bradley said during the hearing Tuesday he was “speculating” when he told Merchant the relationship began after they met at a municipal court conference.
“But you can’t put where they met not many people know that,” Bradley texted Merchant Jan. 5 after providing her the information. “I might be one of only not even chris campbell.”
BREAKING ??
Here are the key texts between Attorney’s Ashleigh Merchant and Terrence Bradley that are at issue in the #FaniWillis disqualification battle
They show a congenial collaborative effort between the two as Merchant attempted to investigate facts about the affair pic.twitter.com/CLyX8wD5iT
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) February 28, 2024
Bradley said in a text to Merchant on Jan. 5 that Willis and Wade took “many” trips to Florida, as well as to Texas and California. He suggested people Merchant could subpoena to confirm their relationship in a text exchange on Jan. 7, including Willis’ original security detail, her kids and various employees in her office.
Bradley: “Subpoena them all”
Merchant: “I am nervous, this is huge”
Bradley: “You are huge… You will be fine…you are one of the best lawyers I know… go be great” pic.twitter.com/kU78Hk9jyl
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) February 28, 2024
Later, when Merchant said she planned to subpoena Wade’s other law partner, Chris Campbell, she asked Bradley if it was fine she also subpoenaed him.
“I’m ok with it,” he told Merchant, adding in another text, “You are my friend and I trust you…”
Bradley and the district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
