Georgia appeals court removes DA Fani Willis from election case against Trump

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Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Kalé Carey (Reporter), Jake Larsen (Video Editor)

A Georgia appeals court has removed Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who spearheaded the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump. The court handed down the ruling on Thursday, Dec. 19, serving as a legal victory for the president-elect.

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Willis brought charges against Trump and more than a dozen of his allies last year. The charges stem from alleged attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results.

The appellate court panel questioned the charges Willis brought forward. The court also took issue with Willis hiring Nathan Wade as special prosecutor.

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Willis and Wade had a previous romantic relationship. The court claimed Willis’ hiring of Wade was unethical.

In the initial ruling, a county judge allowed Willis to stay on the case with the condition Wade was removed. Trump and other defendants appealed that decision, putting the case at a standstill.

Willis and Wade both said their relationship ended before a grand jury indicted Trump and the other defendants in 2023.

A 2-1 vote by the appeals court disqualified her, saying the trial court failed to remove Willis despite her misconduct in bringing Wade onto the case.

“This is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings,” the court said in a statement.

Judge Benjamin Land issued a dissenting opinion against the two other judges. In reaction to the decision, he wrote the appeals court has no authority to reverse the original decision to keep Willis on the case.

“For at least the last 43 years, our appellate courts have held that an appearance of impropriety, without an actual conflict of interest or actual impropriety, provides no basis for the reversal of a trial court’s denial of a motion to disqualify.”
Statement by Appellate Judge Benjamin Land

Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, said the ruling puts an end to a politically motivated persecution against the incoming president.

“The court highlighted that Willis’ misconduct created an ‘odor of mendacity’ and an appearance of impropriety that could only be cured by the disqualification of her and her entire office.”
Statement by Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow

As Trump’s inauguration ceremony draws closer, the likelihood of a criminal case against him seems unlikely. This follows the Supreme Court’s decision this summer granting former presidents immunity from prosecution.

Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith already dropped two federal cases against Trump. A judge put an indefinite hold on sentencing for Trump’s hush money case in New York as the president-elect prepares to take office.

Willis and her office filed a notice with the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision made by the appeals court.

The ruling means another prosecutor will have to take over the election interference case.

Tags: 2020 elections, 2024 Elections, Donald Trump, Election, Election security, Fani Willis, Georgia

[Jack Aylmer]

THE PROSECUTOR WHO SPEARHEADED THE ELECTION INTERFENCE CASE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN REMOVED – RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CASE.

FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY FANI WILLIS BROUGHT CHARGES AGAINST TRUMP AND MORE THAN A DOZEN OF HIS ALLIES LAST YEAR FOR ATTEMPTS TO OVERTURN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS WITHIN THE STATE.

THURSDAY’S RULING BY A GEORGIA APPEALS COURT SERVES AS A LEGAL VICTORY FOR THE PRESIDENT ELECT.

THE APPEALS PANEL QUESTIONED THE CHARGES WILLIS BROUGHT FORWARD AND **WHO SHE HIRED TO LEAD THE CASE AFTER A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WAS REVEALED.

IN THE INITIAL RULING, A COUNTY JUDGE ALLOWED WILLIS TO STAY ON THE CASE WITH THE CONDITION THAT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE BEREMOVED, BUT TRUMP APPEALED THAT DECISION PUTTING IT AT A STANDSTILL.

BOTH WILLIS AND WADE SAID THEIR RELATIONSHIP ENDED BEFORE TRUMP AND THE OTHER DEFENDANTS WERE INDICTED BY A GRAND JURY IN 2023.

A TWO TO ONE VOTE BY THE APPEALS COURT DISQUALIFIED HER, SAYING THE TRIAL COURT FAILED TO REMOVE THE D-A DESPITE HER MISCONDUCT IN BRINGING WADE ONTO THE CASE SAYING IN A STATEMENT:

“this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings.”

JUDGE BENJAMIN LAND, WHO ISSUED THE DISSENTING OPINION, REACTING TO THE DECISION WRITING THE APPEALS COURT HAS NO AUTHORITY TO REVERSE THE ORIGINAL DECISION TO KEEP WILLIS ON THE CASE.

“For at least the last 43 years, our appellate courts have held that an appearance of impropriety, without an actual conflict of interest or actual impropriety, provides no basis for the reversal of a trial court’s denial of a motion to disqualify.”

TRUMP’S LAWYER SAID THE RULING PUTS AN END TO A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED PERSECUTION AGAINST THE INCOMING PRESIDENT.

AS TRUMP’S, INAUGURATION CEREMONY DRAWS CLOSER, THE LIKELIHOOD OF A CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST HIM SEEMS UNLIKELY. ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THE SUPREME COURT DECISION THIS SUMMER GRANTING FORMER PRESIDENT’S IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ALREADY DROPPED TWO FEDERAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP WHILE HIS NEW YORK HUSH MONEY TRIAL IS INDEFINITELY PAUSED.

WILLIS AND HER OFFICE FILED A NOTICE TO THE GEORGIA SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW THE DECISION.

THE APPEALS COURT RULING MEANS ANOTHER PROSECUTOR WILL HAVE TO TAKE OVER THE ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE AS IT HAS YET TO BE DISMISSED.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER