Donald Trump asked a Georgia appeals court on Friday to disqualify the district attorney who prosecuted him as he seeks to overturn his defeat in the state’s 2020 election. Romantic relationship with a former top deputy.
Legal papers filed by the Republican presidential candidate and eight co-defendants ask the appeals court to overturn a judge’s ruling this month that allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis to continue prosecuting the case.
The appeal provides another opportunity for the former US president to delay or derail one of the four criminal cases he faces.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee was sharply critical of the ruling on the relationship between Willis and Nathan Wade. Wade is an outside attorney contracted to help lead the prosecution. But he rejected defense arguments that the romance constituted a conflict of interest that required Willis’ office to be removed from the case.
Wade withdrew from the case after the judge said he needed to withdraw in order for Willis and her office to proceed.
Trump defense attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement Friday that McAfee should dismiss the indictment outright and “at least” remove Willis and her office from prosecuting the case. qualifications.
In a brief filed with the court, Christopher Anulewicz, an attorney for co-defendant Robert Cheeley, argued that the decision failed to disqualify Willis and his office should be quashed because, if allowed to stand, “it would defeat every trial in the case.” The case is invalid. ”
The appeals court has 45 days to decide whether to hear the issue. McAfee allowed Trump and the other defendants to immediately appeal his ruling but said he would continue to push the case to trial during the appeal.
If the court takes up the case, Trump may seek to stay the proceedings while the appeal proceeds. A trial date has not yet been set.
McAfee’s ruling comes after a tumultuous period for Willis, who was grilled by defense attorneys in dramatic testimony about whether she booked vacation time through Wade while receiving paychecks in her office Undue benefit from the relationship.
Trump’s lawyers also accused Willis of “stirring up racial animosity” in responding to the charges and misleading the court about when the relationship began.
Willis has denied receiving any improper benefit from the relationship, arguing the fees were roughly split between her and Wade and saying the romance had no bearing on the criminal case.
Willis said the disqualification was an effort to divert attention from racketeering and other charges against Trump and 14 co-defendants who are accused of conspiring to overturn Trump’s narrow victory in Georgia in the 2020 election. Winning result. Four other co-defendants in the case have pleaded guilty in deals with prosecutors.
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