The Georgia Court of Appeals has disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from the election interference case against now-President-elect Donald Trump.
“After carefully considering the trial court’s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,” the court said, according to WSB.
The court determined that there was a “significant appearance of impropriety,” and that it was enough to taint the case, CNN reported.
“While we recognize that an appearance of impropriety generally is not enough to support disqualification, this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings,” the court wrote.
You can read the ruling below or click here.
Trump had pushed for Willis’ disqualification because she had a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired for the case, Nathan Wade.
While Willis and her office were disqualified, the indictment against Trump remains. Willis filed new court documents on Wednesday that said that Trump did not have presidential immunity in the Georgia case.
The Associated Press reported that the case against Trump and others accused in the election interference case had been on hold before the court’s decision. Willis plans to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court which could delay the case further, WSB reported.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia will have to appoint another prosecutor to oversee the case who will have to decide whether or not to go forth with the case the AP reported.
Trump’s lead attorney in the case, Steve Sadow, released a statement which read:
“The Georgia Court Of Appeals in a well-reasoned and just decision has held that DA Fani Willis’ misconduct in the case against President Trump requires the disqualification of Willis and her office. The Court highlighted that Willis’ misconduct created an “odor of mendacity” and an appearance of impropriety that could only be cured by the disqualification of her and her entire office. As the Court rightfully noted, only the remedy of disqualification will suffice to restore public confidence. This decision puts an end to a politically motivated persecution of the next President of the United States.”
In addition to Trump, 14 others are still facing charges in the case. In all 18 people were charged in the conspiracy of trying to overturn the 2020 election loss in Georgia. Four pleaded guilty and had deals with the prosecution. The rest pleaded not guilty.
It is unlikely that the case would go to trial while Trump is the sitting president, the AP reported.
The move came weeks after Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith dropped two federal prosecutions against Trump. The sentencing for Trump on his conviction in a New York hush money case is on indefinite hold, the AP reported.
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