Election fraud proceedings
Judge wants to decide whether to remove Trump accuser
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis attends a hearing on the Georgia election interference case. photo
© Alyssa Pointer/Pool Reuters/AP/dpa
In Georgia, former President Trump is accused of attempted election fraud, but the headlines have recently been dominated by the public prosecutor in charge. It will be decided soon whether she will be removed from the case.
The judge in charge wants to decide in the next two weeks about the possible removal of the lead prosecutor in the election fraud case against ex-President Donald Trump in the US state of Georgia. There are still some legal questions to be clarified and some substantive decisions to be made, said Scott McAfee at the end of a hearing on Friday in Atlanta. “So I’m going to take the time to make sure I fully review this case,” he said.
The decision to remove District Attorney Fani Willis is of immense importance for the proceedings. If Willis were removed from the case, the trial would be in jeopardy Trump on the brink. Willis’ successor could decide whether the case continues.
It would be extremely convenient for Trump to remove Willis. The 77-year-old is in the middle of the election campaign and wants to move back into the White House after the presidential election in November. Everything indicates that there will be a new duel between Trump and incumbent Joe Biden. In addition to Georgia, Trump is facing several criminal proceedings, the start of which he would like to delay or prevent as much as possible.
Trump and other defendants were charged in Georgia over their attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the state. The Republican had lost to the Democrat Biden at the time and tried in various ways to subsequently change the election result, including by putting pressure on political leaders at the federal level and in states such as Georgia.
Recently, the focus of the proceedings in Georgia was no longer on Trump, but on prosecutor Willis herself. The lawyers for Trump and other defendants accused her of unlawfully benefiting financially from a romantic relationship with another prosecutor in the case. The accusation is, among other things, that the public prosecutor was overpaid in his position and invited Willis to luxury vacations together. At an hour-long hearing in February, Willis defended himself.
Willis, who holds elected office as a Democrat, was harshly targeted by Trump’s camp from the start. Trump also repeatedly sought to undermine the prosecutor’s credibility.