Former President Trump's legal team has filed a motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from serving in the Georgia Court of Appeals.
“President Trump's legal team has filed a response brief in the Georgia Court of Appeals that persuasively refutes the state's arguments,” Trump attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement.
“This brief makes clear that District Attorney Willis should be disqualified and the case dismissed because the false, inflammatory and racist statements she made in her church speech were intended to increase public condemnation of the defendants and sow prejudice in the eyes of potential jurors. Such misconduct violates Georgia's professional ethics rules, and therefore President Trump again calls for the removal and removal of District Attorney Willis from office.”
On December 5, a Georgia state court is scheduled to hear an appeal filed by Trump and his co-defendants that Willis was removed from the case because of an alleged “inappropriate” relationship with former special counsel Nathan Wade.
Georgia court to hear Trump's lawsuit seeking to disqualify Fani Willis one month after the presidential election
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the 2024 Democratic primary in Buckhead, Georgia, on May 21, 2024. (Associated Press)
Willis filed a motion to dismiss the appeal in June, arguing that a lower court found there was insufficient evidence to support his claim that he had a conflict of interest and that there was “no basis” to appeal Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's March decision to allow Willis' case to proceed.
Trump's lawyers called the motion a “last-ditch effort to block appellate review of her wrongdoing.”
Trump was indicted in August 2023 along with 18 co-defendants following a years-long criminal investigation by Willis and state prosecutors in Georgia into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in that state.
The charges include violating Georgia's RICO statute, soliciting a public servant to violate his oath of office, conspiracy to impersonate a public servant, first-degree forgery conspiracy, conspiracy to make false statements and documents, conspiracy to submit false documents, first-degree forgery conspiracy and submitting false documents.
Since then, Willis has struggled to get around obstacles in his efforts to put Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, on trial ahead of the election.
Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis appeals after judge drops multiple charges against Trump
Former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump attend the closing ceremony of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 18, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six of the charges in March, saying the state had failed to plead sufficient detail on six counts of “solicitation of a public servant to violate his oath of office.”
In February, Michael Roman, a Republican activist and co-defendant in the case, made shocking accusations that Willis had an “inappropriate” relationship with Wade, whom he hired in November 2021 to help prosecute the case.
Other co-defendants made similar claims, alleging that she benefited financially from spending lavish holidays with him.
Wade and Willis denied having a romantic relationship before being hired and said they split the cost of the trips. Willis said she paid Wade for her share of the trip in cash.
Former Fani Willis staffer says she was fired after blowing the whistle on DA spending
Former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade in Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on March 1, 2024. (Alex Slits Pool/Getty Images)
After an evidentiary hearing in February, McAfee ordered Wade fired to prevent Willis from being disqualified in Trump's election interference case.
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“The record established highlights serious indications of misconduct that are poisoning the current makeup of the prosecution team and which must be eliminated by the state choosing one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her entire office could choose to recuse themselves or Wade could choose to withdraw from the case.
Wade subsequently resigned as special counsel.
In his order, McAfee also took issue with a speech Willis gave at an Atlanta church in January, in which Willis claimed he and Wade were being scrutinized because of their race. McAfee said Willis' racist comments about “playing the race card” were “legally inappropriate.”
Willis did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
