Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has requested the state’s Court of Appeals to reinstate six counts in the election subversion case against Donald Trump and his co-defendants, including three specifically against the former president. This move has once again brought the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and the attempts to overturn the election results back into the public eye as early voting commences in Georgia for the 2024 election.
In a recent court filing, Judge Scott McAfee had ruled that six charges in the 41-count indictment, related to Trump and some co-defendants allegedly soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer, lacked sufficient detail about the underlying crime being solicited. These counts pertain to the alleged efforts of Trump and his co-defendants to have state officials appoint a fake slate of electors for Georgia following Trump's defeat in the 2020 election.
While McAfee dismissed these charges due to insufficient information provided by Willis for the defendants to prepare their defenses, he noted that the alleged conduct forming the basis of the charges could still be utilized by prosecutors in the Georgia racketeering case.
Responding to McAfee's decision, Willis argued to the appeals court that the indictment against Trump and others contained ample information for the defendants to adequately prepare for their case. Meanwhile, the Georgia appeals court is also reviewing a request from Trump and his co-defendants to disqualify Willis from prosecuting the 2020 election subversion case, citing alleged conflicts arising from her romantic relationship with her former special prosecutor.
It is important to note that Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him in this case.