The Supreme Court of Georgia is leaving in place an appeals court decision that disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting President Donald Trump because of her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor on the case.
The divided Sept. 16 decision comes after Willis appealed to the state's highest court to allow her to remain on the sprawling election interference case. Willis' office brought charges against Trump and several other co-defendants, alleging they participated in a conspiracy to overturn former President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory, including by replacing the presidential electors for Georgia with Trump supporters.
Four Georgia Supreme Court justices came together to form a majority in the decision to turn down the appeal. Three justices dissented. One further justice didn't participate in the decision, and one justice was disqualified.
The decision leaves in place a December 2-1 ruling from a three-judge Georgia appeals court panel that Willis couldn't remain on the case due to her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. That decision threw the prosecution against Trump into doubt.
Willis said in a statement Sept. 16 that she hopes another prosecutor will keep the case alive.
