Former President Donald Trump, along with several co-defendants, filed appeals to the Georgia Court of Appeals seeking to disqualify Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis from the case against him. The appeal centers around allegations that Willis had an improper affair with special counsel Nathan Wade, whom she hired. The Fulton County Superior Court Judge had ruled in March that Wade had to be removed to avoid disqualification of Willis in the racketeering case against Trump. Both Willis and Wade denied allegations of a romantic relationship prior to his hiring.
President Trump’s lawyers filed the notice of appeal on Thursday, joining other co-defendants in the effort to have Willis disqualified from the case. The appeals court had announced that they would hear the defense’s case to have Willis disqualified, but the appeal process could take until Spring 2025 to be resolved. Willis and Wade denied being romantically involved before his hiring in 2021, and both have denied any financial benefits from their relationship. Wade subsequently resigned from his position as special prosecutor.
The defense’s argument against Willis focuses on the appearance of impropriety due to her relationship with Wade and the financial benefits they allegedly received. Judge McAfee’s ruling highlighted this appearance of impropriety and called for Willis and her office to step aside or for Wade to withdraw from the case. Willis insisted that she reimbursed Wade for shared expenses, and McAfee ultimately decided that there was not enough evidence to prove any financial motivations behind Willis’ decision to indict and prosecute the case. He also stated that the finances were roughly evenly divided.
In February, a two-day evidentiary hearing took place in which the defense aimed to prove a conflict of interest on the part of Willis. McAfee’s order acknowledged that there was an appearance of impropriety in Willis’ prosecution due to her relationship with Wade. He expressed concerns about potential financial exchanges or a romantic relationship that could influence Willis’ judgement in the case. The defense was granted the opportunity to appeal the ruling, and the Georgia Court of Appeals announced that they would hear the case.
The defense has raised concerns about the lack of oversight over how Willis spends taxpayer dollars, with Georgia senators likening the situation to the “wild west.” McAfee’s order emphasized the importance of ensuring that Willis’ judgement is not influenced by compromising factors in the case against Trump. The next steps in the appeal process involve presenting arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Willis should be disqualified. The outcome of the appeal could significantly impact the prosecution of the case against Trump and his co-defendants.
