Georgia appeals court disqualifies Fani Willis in Trump election interference case

A Georgia appeals court has ruled that Fani Willis and her team cannot pursue the prosecution of Donald Trump and his associates for the alleged election interference case in the same state.

As ruled by the court, Fani Willis does not have the necessary authority to pursue the case, which is not dismissed, but will have to pass into other hands.

"After careful consideration of the trial court's findings in its order, we conclude that it erred in failing to disqualify prosecutor Willis and her office," the court stated.

At the heart of Willis' disqualification is her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The three-judge panel described Willis' relationship with Wade as a "significant appearance of impropriety" in ruling that she be removed from the case.

"The remedy designed by the trial court to avoid an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at a time when prosecutor Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion over whom to prosecute and what charges to bring."

Willis' disqualification is seen by Donald Trump as yet another victory in all the legal battles he faces since leaving the White House in 2021. In statements made to Fox News, Trump assured that this case is a "disgrace" and should not continue any longer.

"The case has to be thrown out because it was corruptly initiated by an incompetent prosecutor who received millions of dollars through her boyfriend - who received it from her - and then they went cruising all the time," Trump said, referring to Willis' relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

A new prosecutor can always take over the case against Trump in Georgia, should one become standard. The court's ban affects not only Willis, but also all of her deputy district attorneys.