Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis (photo taken on September 20, 2022) and former President Donald Trump (photo taken on August 8, 2023).
Scott Eisengetti Images
The Georgia Court of Appeals agreed Wednesday to hear Donald Trump's appeal to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the former president's criminal election interference case.
In March, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee refused to remove Willis from the criminal case after it was revealed that she had been romantically involved with a member of her defense team.
Trump is charged with illegally trying to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia's 2020 election. No trial date has been set for this case at this time.
President Trump's attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement why the former president told the Court of Appeals, “Why should this case be dismissed and Fulton County Attorney Willis be disqualified for his misconduct in this unjust and unwarranted political persecution?” He said he was looking forward to discussing the matter.
The Georgia Court of Appeals' decision to accept Mr. Trump's appeal to disqualify the prosecutor was the latest setback in Mr. Willis' high-profile lawsuit against the would-be Republican presidential nominee.
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade resigned from the prosecution in mid-March after either McAfee or the prosecutor's office ruled he had to be fired. The ruling came a month after a hearing on whether Willis should be disqualified because of his association with Wade during the investigation into the case.
Willis and Wade testified at the hearing that they had no romantic interest until Wade was hired by the Trump prosecution team.
Two days before McAfee handed down his ultimatum, he dismissed six charges in the case, including three against Trump, ruling that the charges were not sufficiently justified. Trump still faces 10 criminal charges in the Willis case.
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