The decision imposes the Court of Appeals finding that Willis cannot continue his case because his romantic relationship with the special prosecutor has created the emergence of fraud.
Dani Willis has been ruled out of Trump’s Georgia election assault
The Georgia Court of Appeals voted to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the Donald Trump election assault case.
The Georgia Supreme Court has resigned from the Court of Appeals ruling disqualifying Fulton County District Attorney from President Donald Trump’s prosecutor due to his romantic relationship with the special prosecutor in the case.
The split decision on September 16 comes after Willis appealed to the state’s Supreme Court to allow her to stay in a vast election interference case. Willis’s office claimed he took part in a plot to overturn former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, bringing charges against Trump and several other co-defendants and replacing Georgia’s presidential election with Trump supporters.
Four Georgia Supreme Court justice came together to form a majority in the decision to decline appeal. Three judges objected. One more justice was disqualified as one more did not participate in the decision.
The decision leaves a Dec. 2nd ruling from three judges Georgia Court of Appeals courts, with Willis not able to remain in the suit due to his romantic relationship with special counsel Nathan Wade. The decision cast suspicions against Trump.
Willis hopes the case continues. Trump’s lawyers call prosecutors “politics”
Willis said in a statement on September 16 that he hopes another prosecutor will continue to live the case.
“I oppose the decision of the split decision that the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court will not review it, but I respect the legal process and the court,” Willis said.
Willis added that her office will be able to use litigation files and evidence, an agency that “uses in ongoing litigation” at the Georgia State Prosecutors Council, which supports prosecutors in the state.
“I hope that the person assigned to handle the case has the courage to do what the evidence and the law requires,” Willis said.
In a statement, Trump’s defense attorney Steve Sadow praised the Georgia High Court’s decision not to accept Willis’ appeal.
“Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and Trump’s prosecution is terrible and she doesn’t deserve to be disqualified,” Sadow said. “This appropriate decision should put an end to the President’s illegal political and legal persecution.”
Willis and Wade’s relationship
Willis and Wade’s relationship was made public following claims from Trump’s co-defendants. The pair were not only romantically involved, but Wade used some of his pay from the case to take Willis on a romantic trip.
Willis testified that the relationship began after Wade joined the case, and that she paid him a share of their travel expenses, including occasionally paying him back in cash.
Judge Scott McAfee determined in March 2024 that Willis had a romantic relationship with Wade and had a “worthy lapse of judgment” after failing to maintain a clear record of how to financially divide personal expenses. McAfee says Willis or Wade must remove himself from the incident. Soon, Wade resigned.
However, the Court of Appeals’ ruling in December held that the resolution was not sufficient. Willis himself needs to be disqualified “to restore public confidence in the integrity of these cases,” wrote Judge Trenton Brown.
Two other federal indictments against Trump were dropped after his 2024 election victory. The fourth prosecutor, filed by Manhattan state prosecutors, led to Trump’s conviction in 2024 with dozens of counts forged business records. Trump sued in that case.
Contribution: Bad Jansen
This story has been updated with additional information.
