Trump prosecutor Nathan Wade was slammed for giving evasive answers about his alcohol, drug and medication use by his estranged wife’s attorneys, newly unsealed divorce documents show.
Wade has been embroiled in a contentious split from wife of 26 years Joycelyn Wade since filing for divorce on Nov. 2, 2021.
He had filed papers just one day after being appointed special prosecutor in the Trump election interference probe by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who he is now said to be in a “clandestine” relationship with, according to court filings.
Despite asking for a divorce, Nathan repeatedly failed to fully answer basic questions and provide documentation requested by Joycelyn in the case — instead giving information that was “so woefully inadequate so as to be useless,” the wife alleged in court papers from February 2023 — which were unsealed by a judge Monday.
Joycelyn asked her estranged husband to provide information about his alcohol usage, the brands of alcohol he drank and if he ever drove within an hour of drinking — to which he answered: “Red wine once a week at home with dinner,” her lawyers claimed in the filing.
When the wife questioned if he had any drug use — both legal or illegal — Nathan responded: “‘no illegal drug use ever,” the court papers claimed, which Joycelyn’s lawyers claimed failed “to address any legal or prescription drug use at all.”
The lawyers then noted Nathan disclosed he’d taken pain medications and antibiotics after an April 2020 surgery but didn’t identify “which medications, the duration of the prescription, the dosage, the prescribing authority, nor whether he took the drug as prescribed,” the court documents claim.
There is no suggestion in the filings that Wade had displayed any prior issues with taking drugs or using alcohol.
The answers to these questions and many more about his finances were initially sought by Joycelyn in November 2021 so she could negotiate a fair settlement in their divorce. However, since then her lawyers claim in the court papers Nathan has repeatedly failed to cooperate by refusing to provide basic information.
In fact, Nathan was hit with a civil contempt order in August 2023 for not complying with a judge’s order that May to turn over discovery to Joycelyn’s lawyers, court papers show.
Nathan “is unwilling to cooperate and will not comply unless compelled to do so by order of this Court,” Joycelyn’s lawyers had argued.
Joycelyn’s team filed another motion in September, again arguing Nathan was dodging turning over financial records — specifically claiming he had earned over half a million dollars working on the Trump probe but hadn’t “produced one single document evidencing this income.”
Nathan “has knowingly obfuscated this civil litigation to his own ends,” Jocelyn’s lawyers claimed. “Furthermore, while earning such substantial sums, [Nathan] has provided nearly nothing to [Joycelyn] for her support and survival as her own bank account is often in overdraft.”
Lawyers for both Nathan and Joycelyn Wade didn’t immediately return requests for comment Tuesday.
The Cobb County divorce case has dragged on for over two years but came into the public spotlight earlier this month when allegations of Nathan and Willis’ relationship surfaced in a filing by Trump co-defendant Mike Roman.
Roman claimed Wade had lavished the money he earned as a prosecutor on luxury trips for himself and Willis, his boss. Roman also referred to the divorce file, saying it contained the proof in the form of credit card purchases made by Wade.
At the same time, Joycelyn’s lawyers served Willis with a subpoena for her to be deposed in the divorce case, but on Monday a judge put that deposition on hold at least until he can hear from Wade — who has also not been deposed in the case yet.
Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson on Monday also unsealed the divorce case, saying the recent wave of interest and the misconduct allegations against Nathan and Willis meant it should be made public.
Thompson is the third judge to be assigned to the case after two prior judge’s recused themselves — one because he’d contributed to Wade’s campaign to become a superior court judge, court papers show.
Wade has also changed lawyers multiple times while Joycelyn’s team has been the same throughout the case.
Thompson also ruled Monday that Joycelyn has the right to uncover any alleged affair by Nathan in the case.
Willis’ lawyer, Cinque Axom, argued his client shouldn’t be deposed in the divorce case — as it is simply about how to divide marital assets, which he claims the DA “has nothing to do with.”
The lawyer also claimed any alleged affair is irrelevant in the case — although he didn’t say whether the accusations were true or false.
However, Joycelyn’s lawyer, Andrea Hastings, told the judge Monday: “I want to know how [Nathan] has been spending his money. I have reason to believe he is spending it on another woman and that’s my client’s money.”