Texts Reveal Ex-Law Partner of Nathan Wade Sent Tips About Fani Willis Affair to Defense Attorney: ‘You Are My Friend and I Trust You’

Tom Pappert
Nathan Wade Fani Willis

Text messages were published Wednesday by talk show host Megyn Kelly and reporter Phil Holloway, revealing the former law partner of special prosecutor Nathan Wade sent tips to a defense attorney about when he began an intimate relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis.

Though Bradley would later dismiss the information he provided in the text messages while testifying this week as speculation, the claims he made in writing support those made by attorneys representing Michael Roman, the former White House opposition researcher who was charged in the election case directed at former President Donald Trump.

Roman, through his attorneys, first surfaced the allegations against Wade and Willis, and his attorney Ashleigh Merchant exchanged the text messages with Terrence Bradley, the former law partner of Wade who formerly represented the special prosecutor in his divorce.

Kelly, in a video posted as she released the text messages, explained the messages exchanged between Merchant and Bradley filled 36 pages.

Entered into the court record, the messages were originally posted to Holloway’s account on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

“They show a congenial collaborative effort between the two as Merchant attempted to investigate the facts about the affair,” Holloway wrote to X. The first message posted by Holloway indicates attorneys began texting by September 14, 2023.

In an exchange just days later, Merchant asked Bradley for assistance finding individuals who would sign affidavits about the affair between Wade and Willis.

“No one would freely burn that bridge,” wrote Bradley in response. When Merchant asked about a specific person, Bradley countered that the individual knew about their relationship “but won’t admit it.”

After Merchant informed Bradley about a vacation shared by the district attorney and special prosecutor, Bradley offered, “Doesn’t surprise me… they took many trips to Florida,” before adding Texas and California to the list of destinations.

Bradley added that Willis and Wade “absolutely” began dating before she hired him, specifically, that it “started when she left the DA’s office and was judge” in South Fulton.

Bradley’s text message places the beginning of their relationship before the time Willis appointed Wade as her special prosecutor, where he has earned more than $650,000. Willis and Wade separately testified that their relationship began in early 2022.

Willis is accused of enriching herself from Wade’s appointment due to the luxurious vacations the couple shared with each other.

The text messages suggest the attorneys continued communicating for months, with Merchant informing Bradley on January 5 that she was preparing to file a motion making revelations about the relationship between Willis and Wade.

“Happy hunting,” wrote Bradley before asking her to send him a “rough draft” to review. Bradley also told Merchant of Wade, “Never in his life has he ever prosecuted a felony.”

Their collaboration continued for more than two hours on January 5. Bradley urged Merchant to include financial information about him in the court document before replying, “Looks good,” just after noon.

Over the next two days, Bradley offered multiple individuals who may be able to attest to the relationship between Wade and Willis, and at one point described their behavior during the relationship as “arrogance.”

“You need to subpoena her original [security] detail,” Bradley advised Merchant on January 7. “And her current detail,” he added before insisting, “You really want the guys when she was initially elected.”

Bradley also said that Willis’ children, command staff, administrative assistant, and doctor could confirm their relationship. He proceeded to warn Merchant that “all may lie.”

Bradley seemed eager to boost her confidence when Merchant prepared to file her motion. “You are huge,” he sent in one text message. “You will be fine,” he added.

Bradley continued, “You are one of the best lawyers I know. Go be great.”

The friendly communications continued into late January when Bradley told Merchant he was “ok with” being subpoenaed to testify.

He explained, “You are my friend and I trust you” before describing Willis and Wade as “arrogant as ‘F'” on January 24.

“She thinks she won the other day when she didn’t have to be deposed,” wrote Bradley, referring to the effort by attorneys representing Wade’s estranged wife who wanted to depose Willis for their divorce case.

The public release of the text messages comes as Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to hear arguments about Willis’ dismissal on Friday.

In addition to the testimony from Bradley, the judge is also contemplating cell phone data and text messages between Willis and Wade that purportedly show thousands of phone calls and text messages were exchanged by the pair before they claim their relationship began.

Additionally, cell phone location data purportedly shows Wade made light night trips to Willis’ home in the period after she was elected but before he was appointed as special prosecutor.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nathan Wade” by Wade & Campbell. Photo “Fani Willis” by Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. 

 

 

 

 

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