Fani T. Willis asked the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday to take back Trump's election interference case.
Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, recently disbarred President-elect Donald J. Trump and his allies from prosecuting them, citing their efforts to remain in power despite losing the presidential election. petitioned the state high court to reconsider the decision. 2020 Election.
The move was expected and represents Willis' last chance to retain the prosecution stemming from an investigation he began nearly four years ago.
The Georgia Court of Appeals last month stripped Willis and his entire office from the matter in a 2-1 ruling by a three-judge panel appointed by the Republican governor. The ruling overturned a trial judge's ruling that allowed Willis to maintain her case despite the revelation of her romantic relationship with the lawyer she hired to manage her prosecution.
“No court in Georgia has ever disqualified a district attorney for mere misconduct when no actual conflict of interest existed,” Willis' office said in a filing late Wednesday night. This was stated in the submitted documents. “And no Georgia court has ever reversed a trial court's order refusing to disbar a prosecutor based solely on misconduct.”
The state Supreme Court is made up of mostly Republicans, so it is unlikely that Willis' disqualification will be reversed. And if her efforts fail, the prosecution is unlikely to proceed. The fate of the case will now rest with a Republican-led state commission.
It could be several weeks before the Georgia Supreme Court decides whether to take up the case. It is very likely that the defense attorney will have the opportunity to make an initial statement.
Even before last month's disqualification, Ms. Willis' office had already fended off attempts to derail her case. She has been sparring with Republicans in the Legislature over efforts to subpoena documents from her office and with state Republicans over a legislative investigation into the handling of the case.
The Atlanta case was one of four different criminal charges Trump faced last year. But since winning the 2024 presidential election, his legal fortunes have taken a turn for the better.
The Justice Department is moving to dismiss two criminal cases against Trump, citing a policy that prohibits the prosecution of sitting presidents. One was for election interference, and the other was for handling classified documents.
A New York jury in May convicted Trump of 34 felony counts of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, but the judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Marchan, signaled last week that he would spare Mr. Trump from prison or other substantive penalties.
Many of Trump's current and former allies and advisers still face criminal charges in other states, including Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan.
