Georgia Supreme Court Rejects Willis Appeal, Ends Trump Prosecution Role

Georgia’s highest court on Tuesday declined to review Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ disqualification from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s election interference case, ending her role in the high-profile prosecution.

The 4-3 ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court leaves intact a December appeals court decision that removed Willis due to an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The court’s decision means Willis will permanently remain off the case that has defined much of her tenure as district attorney.

Case Now Shifts to Independent Body

With Willis’s disqualification upheld, the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia must now appoint a new prosecutor to handle the sprawling racketeering case against Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants. Pete Skandalakis, the Republican executive director of the council, will oversee this critical decision that could determine whether the prosecution continues.

The new prosecutor will face three options: continue the case as Willis charted, pursue only select charges, or dismiss the case entirely. Given the case’s complexity and resource demands, finding a willing prosecutor may prove challenging.

Trump’s defense attorney Steve Sadow celebrated the ruling, stating Willis’s “misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious and she deserved nothing less than disqualification”. The decision effectively ends what was considered one of the most significant legal threats to the president.

The original indictment charged Trump and 18 others in August 2023 with attempting to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results through an alleged racketeering scheme. The case centered on Trump’s January 2021 phone call asking Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse his election loss.

Willis Accepts Defeat

In her first public response, Willis acknowledged disagreement with the ruling but said she would respect the judicial process. “I hope that whoever is assigned to handle the case will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand,” she stated.

The disqualification stems from Willis’s relationship with Nathan Wade, whom she hired as special prosecutor in 2021. Defense attorneys successfully argued the relationship created conflicts of interest that undermined public confidence in the prosecution.

Uncertain Future for Prosecution

While Trump appears unlikely to face trial during his presidency, the 14 co-defendants could still face prosecution under a new prosecutor. Four original defendants have already pleaded guilty, including attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell.

The ruling marks the end of the last standing criminal case against Trump, following the dismissal of two federal cases and his sentencing to no punishment in the New York hush money case.