Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis is facing a new challenge in the state election interference case against former President Donald J. Trump. After a ruling last month allowed her to continue leading the case, Mr. Trump and his co-defendants are seeking to appeal the decision.
The case took a detour earlier this year as Mr. Trump and his legal team argued that Ms. Willis’ romantic relationship with a lawyer on the prosecution team created a conflict of interest. However, Judge Scott McAfee ruled last month that there was no actual conflict of interest, as long as the lawyer in question stepped aside. The lawyer resigned after the ruling.
Despite the ruling in her favor, Ms. Willis is now facing a new challenge as Mr. Trump and his co-defendants are seeking to reverse the decision through the Georgia Court of Appeals. The court, which leans conservative, has until mid-May to decide whether to take up the matter.
Judge McAfee, who was appointed by the state’s Republican governor, has been praised for his careful rulings in the case. Ms. Willis, while not happy with the scrutiny into her personal life during the hearings, defended the judge’s decision to allow her to keep the case in a filing on Monday.
The case has also seen arguments over First Amendment rights, with the defendants claiming that the criminal case is based on protected political speech. However, Judge McAfee disagreed in a recent ruling, stating that political speech does not protect criminal activity.
With no trial date set yet, the ongoing legal battles and disqualification efforts have made it less likely for the case to go before a jury this year. The outcome of the appeal to the Georgia Court of Appeals will be crucial in determining the future of the high-profile case.
