A judge in Georgia stirred up some urgency last Friday by laying down a 14-day deadline for the state to assign a new prosecutor in the case against Donald Trump related to the 2020 election. If a replacement isn’t found, the case could end up being dismissed.
In a rather blunt notice, Scott McAfee, the presiding judge at Fulton County Superior Court, acted swiftly after the state Supreme Court ruled against District Attorney Fani Willis last month. Apparently, any chance Willis had to proceed was shot down due to the “significant appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic entanglement with Nathan Wade, a key prosecutor on the case.
McAfee made it clear that the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia has two weeks to find a substitute for the case. If they fail to do this, he plans to dismiss the case ‘without prejudice,’ which means the charges could some day be brought back. Interestingly, the order does leave a window open for the council to request more time if needed.
Trump, along with numerous associates, faced racketeering charges this year for allegedly conspiring to undermined Joe Biden‘s victory in Georgia—a controversial case that’s among several Trump’s juggling as he aims for another presidential run. Most of Trump’s co-defendants, like him, pleaded not guilty.
This entire event took a turn when people learned about the romantic relations between Willis and Wade. Judge McAfee determined one of them would need to step aside to let the case proceed, leading to Wade’s resignation. However, the ruling didn’t end there—a higher appeals court supported the idea that the relationship cast a significant shadow over the prosecution, therefore neither could continue pursuing Trump.
Recently, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld this decision after choosing not to review the appeal from Willis’s side. The ruling signaled a no-go for Willis and her office, putting them out of the equation.
As this unfolds, Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, stated right after the ruling that they’d start looking for a new prosecutor immediately, although no timeline was announced regarding the appointment process. They plan to make the decision public when the time is right.
The ticking clock creates pressure as federal prosecutors are now swooping in, having requested records linked to Willis’s travel, as reported by the New York Times.
In a broader context, the Justice Department is looking into numerous high-profile figures opposing Trump, including attorney Letitia James from New York, who has been quite vocal against him.
Updated 5:16 p.m.
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