Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump case
Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
What happened
A Georgia Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 Thursday to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump and others. The appellate decision reversed a lower court ruling that had allowed Willis to continue pursuing the criminal racketeering case after she disclosed a romantic relationship with one of her prosecutors.
Who said what
The panel of Republican-appointed judges ruled that Willis' romantic relationship created the "appearance of impropriety," prompting a "rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings." The dissenting judge, Benjamin Land, said his colleagues overstepped their legal authority, as Willis "has no actual conflict of interest."
The ruling was a "surprise move that threw the entire case into disarray," The New York Times said. Trump afterward told Fox News Digital that the case "should not be allowed to go any further." But the court denied his motion to dismiss the case.
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What next?
Willis immediately filed a motion of appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court. If the appellate court decision stands, "it will be up to the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia to find another prosecutor to take over the case," The Associated Press said.
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Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
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