Former President Donald Trump’s legal team filed an appeal with an appeals court in Georgia, requesting that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis be removed from the prosecution of Trump and 18 co-defendants over what they claim is “racial animus.” The filing, referenced by the Washington Post, points to a speech given by Willis in January, after Trump co-defendant Mike Roman accurately alleged that she was involved in a romantic relationship with fellow prosecutor Nathan Wade. During the speech at a predominantly black church, Willis accused the defendants of racism and used racial terms to describe them.
Trump’s attorneys criticized the speech at the time, joining Roman’s filing. In the new filing, Trump’s legal team argues that the State’s interpretation of the speech — that it was unclear who Willis was referring to — is disingenuous. The lawyers assert that Willis intended to obscure her misconduct by falsely accusing the defense of racism. Furthermore, they argue that Willis calculated this strategy in hopes of generating overwhelming media coverage slandering the defendants nationwide.
The filing alleges that Willis violated the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct and requests that she be disqualified from the case as a result. In March, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis could remain on the case only if Wade resigned. Wade resigned, but Trump’s legal team was allowed to appeal the ruling and request that both Willis and Wade be removed from the case.