A Georgia appeals court has put a freeze on former President Trump’s appeal seeking the disbarment of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (Democrat), effectively ensuring that the trial will not take place before this year’s election.
in One-page ruling In a ruling issued Wednesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals paused the trial until an appeal by Trump and a handful of co-defendants seeking to have Willis barred from the prosecution over her romantic relationship with a top prosecutor is resolved.
Oral arguments are tentatively scheduled for October, meaning the case likely won’t go to trial until after the presidential election. Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee and would like to end the litigation by taking back the White House. A trial date has not yet been set.
The appeals court’s decision to block the trial came as the court was considering whether Willis should be removed from prosecuting the case because of his ties to the top prosecutor who was handling the case.
Willis’s romantic relationship with then-special prosecutor Nathan Wade was on full display during a series of hearings in which both men took the stand to defend their past relationship.
Judge Scott McAfee ultimately ruled that Willis could continue on the case if Wade resigned, and Wade did. Both prosecutors maintain that their relationship was not inappropriate.
Trump and several of his co-defendants have asked an appeals court to review the case, arguing that the Georgia judge’s ruling was insufficient. Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, declined to comment.
The Hill has reached out for comment to Ashley Merchant, an attorney for 2020 Trump campaign activist Michael Roman, who revealed Willis’ romantic relationship with Wade in his original motion to remove the Fulton County district attorney from the case.
President Trump and several of his associates are accused of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. President Trump has pleaded not guilty.
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