Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who pursued the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump, has been removed from the case by a state appeals court. The news comes after the DA made headlines over her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, whom Willis had hired as the lead prosecutor in the case.
Trump told Fox News Digital that the election interference case “should not be allowed to go any further,” adding, “Everybody should receive an apology, including those wonderful patriots who have been caught up in this for years.”
Now that Willis has been disqualified from the case, what will happen to it? Learn all about Willis and the election interference case, below.
The Georgia Court of Appeals has disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump and his co-defendants in their election interference case.
The indictment against Trump still stands. pic.twitter.com/4Hlxl8N0du
— ABC News (@ABC) December 19, 2024
Who Is Fani Willis?
Willis is the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia. In 2021, she commenced an investigation into Trump about his attempts to allegedly influence Georgia election officials over the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump lost to President Joe Biden. In 2020, Trump made a phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to help find more votes in his favor.
In August 2023, a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Trump and 18 other individuals for allegedly constructing a scheme to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Why Was Fani Willis Disqualified From the Case?
Willis made headlines over her relationship with Nathan. She faced controversy over the conflict of interest even though she hired him in late 2021 – before they started dating. The pair claimed they dated from mid-2022 to 2023.
In December 2024, a Georgia Court of Appeals panel ruled that Willis’ disqualification was a “rare case” but that it was “mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.” The panel cited an “appearance of impropriety” in its ruling, according to the Associated Press.
Does This Mean the Case Is Over?
It’s still unclear if Trump’s Georgia election interference case will proceed now that Willis has been removed from it.
