Alyssa Pointer/Pool Photo via AP
In a major blow to the prosecution against Donald Trump in Georgia, Fulton County DA Fani Willis has been officially disqualified from the case. An appeals court ruled on Thursday morning that her conflicts of interest were simply too great for her to remain involved.
That comes after a years-long fight involving Willis' affair with Nathan Wade, a lawyer she had hired to be part of the prosecutorial team. Questions about how much taxpayer money he was paid and the impropriety of their relationship infected the process and led to the Trump team seeking Willis' disqualification.
This represents a significant defeat for Willis and the prosecution of Trump and various associates. A lower court had previously allowed her to stay on the case, instead only forcing the ouster of Wade. With the Fulton County DA now out of the mix, the entire strategy, including whether to keep pursuing these prosecutions at all, will be reassessed.
Willis had told the lower court that her relationship with Wade was over, yet he showed up on the side of the road when the DA's daughter was arrested back in September. That called into question her truthfulness and whether she lied under oath. Willis has also faced significant questions about her use of campaign and government money over the years, with one whistleblower revealing possible criminal conduct.
No doubt, the Trump team is happy with this development. Not only is it a big legal win, but it is a big PR win as well. It provides evidence for everything they've said about Willis and her corruption. That could go a long way to seeing this prosecution scuttled in some form or fashion.