Former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade broke his silence since resigning from the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump.
Wade, who took himself off the case in March following a public disqualification clash over his romantic relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis, said on Sunday that he had some regrets about the situation.
"Workplace romances are as American as apple pie," Wade told ABC News' Linsey Davis. "It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us."
"Do you regret it?" Davis asked.
"I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution," Wade responded. "This is a very important case."
"I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case," he added.
Wade stepped down hours after Judge Scott McAfee ruled that either he or Willis must resign from the case due to the "significant appearance of impropriety," that resulted from the personal relationship they developed while working on the case.
The judge found "insufficient evidence" that an actual conflict of interest existed.
Both the district attorney and the special prosecutor testified that their relationship started in early 2022 and ended in the summer of 2023. Wade was hired to prosecute the case in November 2021.
Davis asked if Wade had considered pausing the relationship until after the case had been decided, given the reportedly high stakes.
"At some point, once that bond is there, and if democracy is on the line, as has been described, do you say maybe we pause this until after the case is over?" Davis asked.
"Absolutely, absolutely," Wade said. "I'll concede that that could have been an approach. But there again, when you are in the middle of it, these feelings are developing and you get to a point where the feelings are, are so strong that, you know, you start to want to do things that really are none of the public's concern."
Wade has returned to private practice since leaving the case.
Trump and 14 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, while four defendants in the case have taken plea deals.
Seeking the removal of Willis as well, the former president and other defendants have petitioned the Georgia Court of Appeals to overturn McAfee's ruling. The panel has not yet determined if it will take up the case.
No trial date has yet been set.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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