Fani Willis Asks Georgia Supreme Court to Review Decision Kicking Her Off Trump Case

Fani T. Willis requested the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday to reinstate her in the Trump election interference case.

Ms. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Ga., appealed to the state’s high court to review a recent decision disqualifying her from prosecuting President-elect Donald J. Trump and his associates regarding efforts to maintain his position despite losing the 2020 election.

This move is Ms. Willis’s final opportunity to retain the prosecution that originated from an investigation she initiated almost four years ago.

Last month, Georgia’s Court of Appeals disqualified Ms. Willis and her entire office from the case in a 2-to-1 decision made by a panel of three judges appointed by Republican governors. This decision overturned the trial judge’s ruling, who had permitted Ms. Willis to continue with the case despite revelations about a romantic relationship she had with the lawyer she hired to oversee the prosecution.

“No Georgia court has ever disqualified a district attorney solely based on the appearance of impropriety without an actual conflict of interest,” Ms. Willis’s office stated in its filing submitted late Wednesday night. “And no Georgia court has ever overturned a trial court’s decision to not disqualify a prosecutor purely due to an appearance of impropriety.”

The chances of Ms. Willis having her disqualification reversed are deemed slim due to the predominantly Republican composition of the state’s highest court. If her attempt is unsuccessful, the prosecution is unlikely to proceed, with the case potentially falling to a Republican-led state panel.

It may be a few weeks before the Georgia Supreme Court determines whether to accept the case; defense attorneys will likely have the opportunity to provide input first.

Even before the disqualification last month, Ms. Willis’s office had been facing challenges to derail the case. She has been in conflict with Republicans in Congress over their efforts to subpoena documents from her office and with state Republican lawmakers regarding a legislative inquiry into her management of the case.

Last year, the Atlanta case was one of four criminal prosecutions against Mr. Trump. However, his legal situation has improved since winning the 2024 presidential election.

The Justice Department has moved to dismiss two criminal cases against Mr. Trump due to its policy against prosecuting sitting presidents — one for election interference and one for mishandling classified documents.

In May, a New York jury convicted Mr. Trump on 34 felony charges of falsifying records to conceal a sex scandal. Although he is set to be sentenced on Friday, the trial judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, indicated last week that he is likely to spare Mr. Trump from imprisonment or any significant penalty.

Several of Mr. Trump’s current and former associates and advisers are still facing criminal allegations in other states, including Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan.