Judges will weigh whether misconduct by the Fulton County DA disqualifies her from leading the prosecution.
The Georgia Appeals Court has put a hold on the Fulton County District Attorney’s case against former President Trump pending oral arguments.
Attorneys for the former President and his co-defendants will ask the state appellate judges to disqualify Fulton DA Fani Willis from prosecuting the case over alleged conflicts of interest. Willis is alleged to have carried on a romantic affair with special prosecutor in charge of the case Nathan Wade and to have received benefits in the form of gifts and lavish vacations from Wade.
In total, Wade was paid approximately $653,880 of taxpayer money by the DA’s office to prosecute President Trump for alleged election interference. Evidence surfaced during Wade’s divorce proceedings that he and Willis took trips to the Caribbean and Central America, though Willis claims to have reimbursed him using personal cash she keeps in her private residence.
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Trial Judge Scott McAfee called the actions of the DA and special prosecutor “a tremendous lapse in judgement” and “unprofessional” but allowed Willis to stay on the case if Wade resigned as special prosecutor. Lawyers for the defense argue that this was insufficient and will ask the court to remove Willis as well.
Willis’ removal will likely mean the end of the Fulton County case against the former President and more than a dozen co-defendants.
The Court is scheduled to hear arguments October 4, meaning the case is unlikely to proceed prior to the November 5 election.
