Georgia Appeals Court to Review Trump’s Attempt to Disqualify DA Fani Willis. The Georgia Court of Appeals has agreed to review former President Donald Trump’s application to appeal Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling to keep embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on the case.
This development comes after Judge McAfee’s order in March stated that special prosecutor Nathan Wade had to be removed to avoid disqualifying Willis in the Trump election interference case in Georgia.
Trump and several co-defendants alleged that Willis and Wade had an “improper” affair and that Willis financially benefited from the relationship. Both Willis and Wade denied these allegations. Judge McAfee allowed the defense to appeal his ruling, and the appeals court announced Wednesday that they will hear the defense’s case to still have Willis disqualified.
Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, stated, “President Trump looks forward to presenting interlocutory arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution.” A court date has not yet been set.
In his March ruling, Judge McAfee stated that the defendants failed to prove that Willis acquired an actual conflict of interest in the case through her personal relationship and travels with Wade. However, he noted that the established record highlighted a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team. To address this, Judge McAfee gave Willis and her office two options: step aside or have Wade withdraw from the case. Wade subsequently resigned from his post as special prosecutor.
“President Trump looks forward to presenting interlocutory arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution,” Trump lawyer Steve Sadow said in a statement.
The co-defendants alleged that Willis benefited financially by hiring Wade due to their pre-existing relationship when he was hired in 2021, and they would vacation together. Both Wade and Willis denied being in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and claimed they split the costs of their shared travels, with Willis reimbursing Wade for her share in cash.
In his March order, Judge McAfee found Willis’ reimbursement practice unusual and concerning but ultimately decided that the defendants did not present sufficient evidence that expenses weren’t roughly divided evenly. He also stated that the evidence demonstrated that the financial gain from her relationship with Wade was not a motivating factor for Willis to indict and prosecute the case.
In February, Judge McAfee held a two-day evidentiary hearing where the defense set out to expose a money trail that would mean Willis has a conflict of interest in the case against Trump and should be disqualified. Judge McAfee wrote in his order that the record established an appearance of impropriety in the District Attorney’s prosecution. He noted that as long as Wade remained on the case, the unnecessary perception of impropriety would persist.
The case will now proceed to the Georgia Court of Appeals, where Trump’s legal team will argue for Willis’ disqualification and the dismissal of the case. The outcome of this appeal will significantly impact the ongoing investigation into Trump’s alleged election interference in Georgia.
If the appeals court rules in favor of Trump, it could potentially lead to the dismissal of the case against him. On the other hand, if the court upholds Judge McAfee’s ruling, the case will proceed with Willis remaining as the prosecutor. This could lead to further legal battles and potentially even an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.
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