Trump Appeals DA Willis’ Decision to Georgia Court

Donald Trump, the former President, has filed a notice of appeal with the Georgia Court of Appeals challenging a lower court decision that allows District Attorney Fani Willis to prosecute a 2020 election interference case against him in Fulton County as a Democrat.

The appeals court granted Trump’s legal team permission to appeal a March decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, which allowed Willis to remain on the case on the condition that lead prosecutor Nathan Wade, who had a secret romantic relationship with Willis, resigned.

Trump and other defendants claimed that Willis and Wade were romantically involved before his hiring, and that she benefited financially from the relationship. Willis and Wade denied these allegations.

Five other co-defendants in the case, including Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Cathy Latham, Michael Roman, and David Shafer, have also filed notices of appeal.

The official record in the case will now be prepared by the Fulton County Superior Court clerk and sent to the Court of Appeals for docketing and briefing notices. Defendants will have 20 days to file their briefs, followed by 20 days for the prosecution to file its response.

Oral arguments can be scheduled before or after filing of briefs, and the appeals court must make a decision before the start of its March 2025 term, assuming the appeal is docketed before its August term begins.

It is now unlikely that Trump and the co-defendants will face trial before the November election, especially if Willis is removed from the case by the appeals court.

“President Trump is eager to present arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals on why the case should be dismissed and why DA Willis should be disqualified due to her misconduct in this politically motivated persecution,” said Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, in a statement to Fox News.

In his March ruling, McAfee stated that while Willis’ reimbursement practices were unusual and lacking in documentation, there was insufficient evidence presented by the defendants to prove uneven distribution of expenses. He also noted that the financial gain from Willis’ relationship with Wade did not influence the decision to prosecute the case.