Georgia Supreme Court Upholds Disqualification of DA Fani Willis in Trump Election Case

ATLANTA — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been permanently removed from prosecuting President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case after the state’s Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal in a 4-3 decision on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. One judge did not participate, and another was disqualified.

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in December 2024 that Willis and her office could not continue due to an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help lead the case. Willis appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court in January 2025, arguing the appeals court overstepped by disqualifying her based solely on appearances without evidence of an actual conflict of interest. The high court’s decision not to review the case finalizes her removal.

Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in the case, praised the ruling, stating, “Willis’ misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious and she deserved nothing less than disqualification. This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the president.”

The case now moves to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, which will appoint a new prosecutor, according to the council’s executive director, Pete Skandalakis. He said the selection process could take time, and the new prosecutor will decide whether to pursue all, some, or none of the charges. Finding a replacement willing to handle the complex, resource-intensive case may prove challenging.

Willis expressed disagreement with the courts’ decisions but vowed to cooperate, stating, “While I disagree with the decision of the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court’s divided decision not to review it, I respect the legal process and the courts. I will make the case file and evidence available to the Prosecuting Attorneys Council for use in the litigation.”

A Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others in August 2023 under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, accusing them of conspiring to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in the state through actions like pressuring officials, organizing “fake electors,” and harassing election workers. Trump surrendered at the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24, 2023, resulting in a historic mugshot, the first for a U.S. president. Four defendants have since taken plea deals, leaving 14 others facing charges.

Given Trump’s status as sitting president, he is unlikely to face trial during his term, though the remaining co-defendants could. The controversy over Willis’ relationship with Wade, which both acknowledged but said did not affect the case, led to Wade’s resignation in March 2024. However, the appeals court ruled that the appearance of impropriety required disqualifying Willis and her office.

Ashleigh Merchant, defense attorney for co-defendant Michael Roman, who first exposed the relationship, said, “We hope this will finally close this chapter.”