The legal battle surrounding the 2020 election interference case in Georgia has taken a new turn, as the Georgia Court of Appeals has agreed to review a decision that allowed District Attorney Fani Willis to continue leading the prosecution against former President Donald Trump.
This development has added another layer of complexity to the high-stakes case, which has already been marred by allegations of improper relationships and misconduct.
The case in Fulton County, Georgia, is one of the most significant legal challenges facing Donald Trump as he mounts a third bid for the White House.
Read: FBI: California Man Sends Death Threats To Georgia DA Fani Wills “Killed Like A Dog”
The former president and more than a dozen of his allies were charged in a sprawling racketeering case brought by Willis last year, which accuses them of engaging in an unlawful scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state.
Trump denies all allegations.
The case was derailed earlier this year when one of the co-defendants, Michael Roman, a longtime GOP operative, accused Willis and a special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, of having an improper romantic relationship that began before Wade was hired to work on the election case in November 2021.
Roman claimed that Willis financially benefited from the relationship, as Wade allegedly paid for trips, hotel rooms, and travel expenses using money he received through his work as a special prosecutor.
Trump, Roman, and seven others sought to have Willis and her office removed from the case and the charges against them dismissed.
Read: Georgia DA Fani Willis Concealed Trump Investigation In Budget Request, Officials Say
Wade and Willis both acknowledged they were romantically involved, but disputed claims that their relationship began before Wade’s hiring.
In March, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a ruling that rejected the effort to have Willis and her office kicked off the case, as long as Wade stepped aside. McAfee, however, was critical of Willis, saying that while he could not conclusively establish when Wade and Willis’ relationship became romantic, “an odor of mendacity remains.”
Following McAfee’s decision, Trump and the eight others were allowed to seek review of the ruling from the Georgia Court of Appeals. The appeals court has now agreed to take up the matter, granting Trump’s request to review the decision that allowed Willis to continue leading the prosecution.
The court’s decision to grant Trump’s appeal will likely delay the start of any trial in the Fulton County case, though no date has been set for it to begin. This development adds to the growing uncertainty surrounding the timing of the various legal proceedings Trump is facing, which include cases in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and South Florida.
Read: Georgia Lawmaker Grills Fulton County Official On Fani Willis’ Public Relations Spending
The delays in the Georgia case mean it’s increasingly unlikely that the three outstanding trials will be held before the November 2024 presidential election.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is set to face-off against President Biden in a rematch of the 2020 contest, and the legal proceedings could have significant implications for the campaign.
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