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An appeals court in Georgia has announced that it will review a lower court’s ruling regarding the non-disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The review follows revelations of Willis’s romantic involvement with a leading prosecutor in the case, sparking extensive legal debates and procedural delays.
The Georgia Court of Appeals accepted the interlocutory appeal application from Trump and his co-defendants, who have pushed for Willis’s disqualification ahead of the trial. “Upon consideration of the Application for Interlocutory Appeal, it is ordered that it be hereby GRANTED,” stated the court’s brief decision. This move opposes the District Attorney’s office’s stance, which had argued against the appellate review at this stage.
Following these developments, the case’s oversight fell to Judge Scott McAfee of the Superior Court of Fulton County, who decided Willis could continue her role provided that Nathan Wade, the prosecutor involved romantically with Willis, stepped down. Although a trial date has not been set, McAfee indicated that other pending motions would still be addressed, potentially influencing the trial’s timeline.
The appeal stems from hearings that revealed conflicting testimonies about when Willis and Wade’s relationship began, adding complexity to the case. Trump’s legal team has argued that these circumstances surpass mere appearance and constitute an actual conflict of interest, demanding Willis’s removal from the case. “If this law means anything, the trial court’s actual findings here establish an actual conflict,” their appeal argued.
Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, expressed approval of the decision to hear the appeal, highlighting the significance of the upcoming arguments. “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,” said Sadow.
