Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis got another round of potentially bad news on Thursday in the form of a legal filing by former President Donald Trump’s team of attorneys regarding her election interference case against him. Trump has officially notified Fulton County Superior Court of his appeal against the ruling that permitted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue handling the Georgia election interference case.
The issue arose in early January when former White House staff member Michael Roman filed a motion seeking to disqualify Willis from prosecuting the case against Trump and his co-defendants. The motion alleged that Willis had an “improper” relationship with then-Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade and claimed that she financially benefited from the investigation and the relationship.
Last week, a state appeals court in Georgia agreed to review a judge’s ruling that permitted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting Trump. Following this approval, Trump’s legal team has formally notified the court of their intent to proceed with the appeal. The timeline for the appeals court to issue a ruling remains uncertain, though Willis’ office is likely to advocate for a swift process.
The indictment of Trump and 18 others in Georgia marked a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny of the 2020 presidential election’s aftermath. The charges originate from Democratic claims of a coordinated effort to contest and potentially overturn the election results in Georgia, a crucial battleground state. Those charged alongside Trump include various political operatives and legal advisors, indicating that the investigation has been thorough, targeting not only top political leaders but also individuals working behind the scenes.
On March 15, Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Trump and his co-defendants “failed to meet their burden” of proving that the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade constituted a “conflict of interest” or that Willis benefited from it. However, McAfee acknowledged a “significant appearance of impropriety” and decided that either Willis or Wade would need to step aside for the case to proceed in Fulton County. A few hours later, Wade tendered his resignation, Fox 5 in Atlanta reported.
On March 18, Trump and several of his co-defendants sought permission from Judge McAfee to appeal his decision, which McAfee granted on March 20. On March 29, attorneys for Trump and his co-defendants filed an application for an interlocutory appeal, arguing that Wade’s departure did not resolve the appearance of impropriety and had “cast a pall over these entire proceedings.”
“On May 8, the Georgia Court of Appeals agreed to hear the appeal, giving Trump and his 14 co-defendants 10 days to file a notice of appeal, which will transfer the case from Fulton County Superior Court to the Court of Appeals,” Fox 5 noted, adding that the court has yet to set a date for a hearing.
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