The ongoing organized crime case against former President Donald Trump, led by Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis, has encountered a new obstacle.
The case accuses Trump of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act violations, stemming from his public statements about the contentious 2020 election.
Willis is already under scrutiny from a state legislative investigation, a potential contempt citation from Congress, a lawsuit regarding her records, and allegations of illegally recording a phone call with a defense attorney. However, the most significant issue she has faced in the case is her decision to employ her romantic partner, costing taxpayers nearly $700,000, to work on the case against Trump.
A trial judge previously ruled that either Willis or her partner had to step down from the case, resulting in the latter's immediate resignation. However, Trump and other defendants appealed Judge Scott McAfee's decision to allow Willis to continue on the case, despite what they described as her "tremendous lapse in judgment" and the "mendacity" surrounding the case.
The Daily Mail reports that the Georgia Court of Appeals has now given the green light to Trump's case to remove Willis from his election fraud trial, marking another setback for the Fulton County DA. Trump and his co-defendants had requested the higher court to overturn McAfee's ruling and remove Willis from the case entirely.
This development could disrupt Willis' plans, as she has insisted on a trial and conviction before the election. If Willis is removed, the case would likely be handed over to a different prosecutor, who may need to start the investigation from scratch to formulate a charge. The timeline for the appeal remains uncertain.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty in the case, has accused the prosecution of pursuing a politically motivated agenda against him to damage his campaign. Steven Sadow, Trump's attorney in the Georgia case, stated that he would not back down in his efforts to remove Willis from the case.
"President Trump looks forward to presenting interlocutory arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals as to why the case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution," Sadow stated.
Alan Dershowitz, a renowned constitutional expert and Democrat activist, has expressed a strong lack of confidence in Willis. He stated, "She ought to be on trial for perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, witness tampering. The evidence is overwhelming that she committed perjury, including technical scientific evidence and several witnesses."
Dershowitz further accused Willis of receiving kickbacks for appointing an unqualified individual to lead the prosecution. He expressed hope that the appellate court would remove her from the case and recommend a criminal investigation.
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