In a narrow 4-3 decision, the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to hear Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ appeal, effectively upholding her removal from the high-profile election interference case against President Donald Trump and others, as Newsmax reports.

The ruling solidifies Willis’ disqualification due to an appearance of impropriety, paving the way for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia to appoint a new prosecutor to handle the complex case.

The case began in August 2023 when a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Trump and 18 others, accusing them of engaging in a broad scheme to overturn Trump’s narrow 2020 election loss to Joe Biden in Georgia.

Origins of underlying allegations

Among the allegations was Trump’s controversial call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which he urged the official to find enough votes to secure a victory over Biden.

Since the indictment, four individuals have pleaded guilty to charges related to the case, while 14 other defendants still face prosecution alongside Trump.

This Georgia case is one of four criminal cases brought against Trump in 2023, though other legal actions have seen varied outcomes, including the Justice Department abandoning two federal prosecutions after Trump’s November election win and a New York case resulting in a conviction on 34 counts with no punishment imposed.

Willis’ disqualification sparks debate

Controversy emerged when concerns arose over Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to lead the case, creating what the Georgia Court of Appeals later described as an appearance of impropriety.

In December, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Willis and her office could no longer prosecute the case due to this perceived conflict, prompting her disqualification.

Willis challenged the decision in January, asking the Georgia Supreme Court to review whether her removal was justified solely on the basis of an appearance of impropriety without evidence of an actual conflict or misconduct.

Supreme Court’s decision unfolds

In her filing, Willis argued, “No Georgia court has ever disqualified a district attorney for the mere appearance of impropriety without the existence of an actual conflict of interest.”

She further contended, “And no Georgia court has ever reversed a trial court's order declining to disqualify a prosecutor based solely on an appearance of impropriety.”

Despite her arguments, the Supreme Court declined to take up the case on Tuesday in a 4-3 vote, with one judge not participating and another disqualified from the proceedings.

Future of proceedings hangs in balance

Willis expressed disappointment but pledged cooperation, stating, “I hope that whoever is assigned to handle the case will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand.”

Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, welcomed the ruling, asserting, “Willis' misconduct during the investigation and prosecution of President Trump was egregious and she deserved nothing less than disqualification.”

Lawyers for Trump had previously argued in court filings that Willis’ “disqualification is mandated because it is the only remedy that could purge the taint of impropriety.”