Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Subpoena Witnesses topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Georgia Senate subcommittee says subpoenas served for Nathan Wade, seeks earlier testimony from Jeff DeSantis
Summary
A Senate Special Committee on Investigations subcommittee said it issued subpoenas to Nathan Wade and Jeff DeSantis and is negotiating earlier testimony dates after counsel proposed a March 13 appearance and Fulton County indicated counsel coordination could take 60–90 days.
The Senate Special Committee on Investigations subcommittee told members it has issued subpoenas for Nathan Wade and Jeff DeSantis as part of an inquiry into questions around Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s prosecution related to alleged election interference. The committee said the subpoenas were issued on February 2 and that Nathan Wade was served on February 10.
Unidentified Senator said, “We have issued those subpoenas.” The committee’s attorney, Josh Belafonte, described multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach Wade before employing a process server and said he contacted counsel who previously represented Wade in unrelated litigation.
Josh Belafonte, the committee’s attorney, said, “Mister Wade has a pending lawsuit, a civil lawsuit against AT and T, and so I reached out to his counsel in that suit, gentleman named Mike Kaplan, to see if he was in contact with mister Wade or if he could help me start process server, via multiple channels of communication.” He also said the Fulton County District Attorney’s office emailed that the witnesses would be entitled to counsel and that “the process of lining them up with counsel would take about 60 to 90 days from the date of service.”
Committee members said they prefer not to compel testimony in court if the witnesses will cooperate, but they rejected a proposed voluntary appearance date of March 13 as too late in the legislative session and said they would offer earlier committee or off days. A committee member addressed as the chairman noted the panel’s authority to issue subpoenas and urged cooperation on scheduling, saying he was “glad that they are served, acknowledge service of the subpoenas, and they acknowledge, that they are binding and that they will honor those subpoenas.”
The subcommittee reported that Jeff DeSantis agreed to accept service electronically. Members said they would continue negotiating time and scope limits with counsel and would notify the public when hearing dates were set; the committee adjourned to reconvene with the full committee at 10:00.
Next steps: the subcommittee will propose earlier dates, work with counsel on the scope and timing of testimony, and post a public notice once dates are finalized.
