Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has pushed back strongly against Donald Trump’s efforts to dismiss his Georgia election interference case.
In court documents filed on Wednesday, Willis’ office responded to Trump’s claim that his case should be dropped due to the Supreme Court’s recent presidential immunity ruling. According to The New Republic, this marks a major development in the case.
Willis’ team argued that even if Trump returns to the White House, it would not necessarily stop the state court case from proceeding. Fulton County’s Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney, F. McDonald Wakeford, said Trump failed to explain how continuing the case would interfere with his duties as president.
Wakeford criticized Trump’s legal arguments, saying his lawyers didn’t provide a solid reason why the Justice Department’s rules about prosecuting sitting presidents should apply to state-level cases.
Wakeford wrote that Trump’s team mentioned legal concepts without properly analyzing or applying them to this situation, essentially leaving the court to figure it out.
The filing also emphasized that there’s little legal precedent for cases against sitting presidents, leaving the door open for the Georgia prosecution to continue.
Willis’ office argued that vague claims about federalism and concerns over state and federal powers are not enough to block the case.
In summary, the Georgia prosecutor’s office is making it clear that Trump could still face legal consequences in the state, even if he regains the presidency.