Georgia appeals court will consider Fanny Willis’ role in Trump case in October

A Georgia appeals court will hear arguments in October on whether to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting Donald Trump for trying to overturn his 2020 defeat, an event that would likely postpone that trial until after the Nov. 5 election.

At issue is whether the prosecution is tainted as a result of Willis’ past relationship with his one-time top deputy, whom he appointed to work on the investigation.

Trump’s legal team has tried to use the matter as a basis for derailing the case, but the judge overseeing the trial said in March that Willis could stay on the case.

The Georgia election interference case is one of three criminal trials Trump still faces, though all three have been delayed for various reasons.

Last week, Trump became the first former president in US history to be convicted of a crime when a New York City jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment of money to porn star Stormy Daniels just weeks before the 2016 election.

The Georgia appeals court did not specify when in October it would hear Willis’ disqualification case, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the case will be heard on Oct. 4.

Willis is also expected to separately ask the court to overturn a lower court ruling that dismissed several charges against Trump over allegations of corruption in the 2020 election on the grounds that the indictment was not broad enough to sustain those allegations.