ATLANTA (May โข10,2024) – โขA new prosecutor will โtake โthe helm of theโ Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others,after the state’s court of Appeals removed Fulton โฃCounty District Attorney Faniโ Willis due to an “appearance of impropriety.” Nathan wade, โฃthe specialโ prosecutor Willis had hired, resigned in March 2024 after allegations of a โconflictโ of interest surfaced, โคcentering on a romantic relationship between Willis and Wadeโข and claims that Wade used his earnings from the case โฃtoโ fund vacations they โtook together.
The case, stemming โขfrom allegationsโ that Trump and his โallies illegally attempted to overturn the 2020โ presidentialโ election results in Georgia, has been plagued byโ legal challenges. Whileโ Judge Scott McAfee initiallyโ allowed โฃwillis to remain on the case if Wadeโ resigned – which heโ did hours later – โthe Georgia Court of Appeals ultimately sided with theโค defense, removingโ Willis. The state Supreme Court afterward โdeclined to hear Willis’ appeal.
The appointmentโ of a new prosecutor marks the โคlatest development inโค a sprawling investigation that began in the wake ofโค the 2020 election. Even before Willis securedโ an indictment,a judge barred her from pursuing charges against Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones,one โof 16 state Republicansโค who signed โขa certificate falsely declaring Trump the โฃwinner of the state’s election. That ruling stemmed from a conflictโ of interest, as Willis had โขpreviously hostedโฃ aโ fundraiserโค for Jones’ Democratic opponent.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr appointed Peter Skandalakisโข to oversee the issue involving Jones,and Skandalakis ultimately decided โขnot to pursue charges against the lieutenant governor.Skandalakis โis now โฃtasked with selecting โคa replacement to lead the caseโ against Trump and the remaining defendants.
During โฃan โขremarkable hearing โขin February 2024, Willis and Wade โคtestified about their relationship, stating the romance began afterโ Wade wasโ hired andโ that they shared โexpensesโ for vacationsโค and outings. Judge McAfee, while finding no disqualifying conflict of โinterest, described Willis’ actions as a “tremendous lapse in โjudgment.”