Atlanta, Georgia – The legal battle surrounding former President Donald Trump and the Fulton County election interference case took a new turn on Sunday. Steve Sadow, lead defense counsel for Trump in the case, announced his next move to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis is currently facing a potential ethics violation related to her alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which was brought to light by former Trump staffer and co-defendant Michael Roman.
Willis is at the center of the case against Trump and 18 other co-defendants, who were indicted by a Georgia grand jury in August for criminal racketeering charges. The charges stem from allegations that they attempted to overturn the state’s electoral results in the 2020 election, which was won by Joe Biden. Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty.
The defense argued that the personal relationship between Willis and Wade presented a conflict of interest and sought to disqualify them and have the charges thrown out. However, Judge Scott McAfee ruled that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish a conflict of interest, although the appearance of impropriety remains.
Sadow took to social media to share his next legal step in the effort to disqualify Willis. He plans to ask the court to permit a pretrial appeal of McAfee’s disqualification order. Sadow has been vocal about using all legal options available to fight the case, expressing his belief that the case should never have been brought in the first place.
McAfee’s ruling states that Willis and her office must either step aside and allow another district attorney to take over the case or that Wade must withdraw himself from it. Wade chose to resign hours after McAfee filed his decision.
Sadow now has 10 days to seek a “certificate of immediate review,” which would allow Trump to immediately appeal the disqualification order before trial. However, McAfee will have the final say on whether to grant the certificate. The potential for an appeal could potentially delay the case, with no trial date currently set.
While Willis’ office requested a trial date of August 5, 2024, Trump’s lawyers asked for the trial to be scheduled after the general election in November. They also argued that if Trump were to win, the trial should take place after his term in office.
Legal experts have noted that even if the certificate is granted, the Georgia Court of Appeals could still decline to hear the case. Trump’s legal team will need to clear several hurdles in order to proceed with their appeal.
The legal battle between Trump and Willis continues, with both sides engaged in a fierce fight over the future of the case. It remains to be seen how the court will ultimately rule and what impact it will have on the political landscape.