Former President Donald Trump and eight of his co-defendants in the Georgia election racketeering case have appealed the ethics decision by Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee allowing District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting the case.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "The defendants say Willis should be disqualified from the case, citing her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which they said had given the DA a financial interest in the prosecution ... On Friday, the defendants asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to overturn McAfee’s decision. They argued McAfee erred in failing to disqualify Willis."
Trump and his co-defendants further argue that this error needs to be resolved before trial, rather than after.
It now falls to the Court of Appeals to decide whether to take up the case, which could theoretically delay a trial date for the Georgia case even further.
ALSO READ: A criminologist explains why Judge Cannon must step away from Trump trial immediately
Willis has defended her conduct throughout the ethics hearing. McAfee ultimately disagreed that there was clear evidence of a financial conflict of interest in Willis and Wade's relationship, but ruled that Willis can only stay on if Wade resigned, which he promptly did.
Trump's legal team demanded McAfee grant permission for this ruling to be appealed, and he did so, clearing the way for this new filing.
Recommended Links:
- Fani Willis and Nathan Wade subpoenaed as Trump codefendant moves to kick them off case
- Georgia lawyers thought Fani Willis hiring special prosecutor Nathan Wade was 'weird'
- Fani Willis slammed with harassing calls after Trump lawyer puts contact info in court doc
- Advisers urged Fani Willis to push Nathan Wade off Trump case: sources
- Fani Willis just killed any chance Trump had to kick her off his case: legal expert