Fulton DA Willis files motion to dismiss appeal to DQ her from Georgia Trump case – Atlanta News First
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has filed a motion to dismiss an appeal that could remove her and her office from prosecuting former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies in connection to an attempt to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election.
In the motion, Willis argued the appeal should be dismissed “due to the lack of sufficient evidence.”
The push to remove Willis from the case came after an explosive court filing brought to light the district attorney’s relationship with now-former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee in March found that no conflict of interest existed that should force Willis off the case — if Wade was taken off the case. However, McAfee granted a request from Trump and the other defendants to seek an appeal of his ruling.
The Georgia Court of Appeals put a stay on all proceedings in the Fulton County election interference case. A stay means that all hearings, arguments, rulings and other matters are on hold until the court of appeals rules on matters it is currently hearing — including whether to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the case. The court is also reviewing an appeal for charges dropped in the election interference case.
RELATED: Trump Fulton County election interference case on hold until Georgia Court of Appeals issues ruling
Trump and 18 of his GOP allies were indicted in August 2023 for an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Willis and her office issued the indictment.
Trump’s lead attorney, Steve Sadow, released the following statement:
The State’s motion to dismiss the interlocutory appeal, which has already been permitted by the Court of Appeals, appears to be a last ditch effort to stop any appellate review of DA Willis’ misconduct. The State’s motion deliberately failed to mention that Judge McAfee’s ruling stated an “odor of mendacity remains” from the hearing testimony by the DA and the State’s witnesses. The judge also said there were “reasonable questions” as to whether Willis and former prosecutor Wade testified untruthfully. The State has tried this gambit before with no success.
The motion for dismissal was filed in the Georgia Court of Appeals.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment further on the motion.
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