Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is officially off the case against Donald Trump.
The Georgia Supreme Court refused to hear her appeal on Tuesday, leaving in place a lower court’s ruling that disqualified her over her romantic relationship with a former special prosecutor. That December appeals court opinionfound Willis’s continued involvement would undermine public confidence, even though the prosecutor in question resigned in March.
The state Supreme Court’s decision is a blow to the racketeering case targeting Trump and 18 allies for allegedly trying to overturn Georgia’s results in the 2020 election.
Willis responded quickly, saying she still believes in the strength of the case.
“While I disagree with the decision … I respect the legal process and the courts,” she said, adding that her office will hand over all files and evidence to help the case.
Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia Executive Director Pete Skandalakis said he will begin looking for a willing DA, while acknowledging that smaller offices may lack the resources for such a big trial.
“I have to start looking, today, for a prosecutor to take this case,” Skandalakis told the Guardian. “You kind of narrow it down to resources – who has the staff – and then you kind of branch out. There are some offices that are too small, that are overrun with cases.”
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Trump and his legal team celebrated the outcome. The president’s lead attorney in the case, Steve Sadow, said Willis’s removal was long overdue. He said Tuesday’s “decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the President.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump called the ruling “a great decision.”
“She is a disaster,” Trump said. “She should be prosecuted…She should be put in jail. She’s a criminal.”
Trump: "She should be put in jail. Fani Willis is a criminal." pic.twitter.com/k8mo9ZVAZZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 16, 2025