Georgia Court of Appeals Reviewing Decision in Trump’s 2020 Election Case
The Georgia Court of Appeals has agreed to revisit a ruling by a Fulton County Superior Court judge who refused to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis and her team from the 2020 election case involving former President Donald Trump due to a personal connection between Willis and a prosecutor.
Steve Sadow, representing Trump in the Fulton County lawsuit, shared on social media that the court has accepted Trump’s appeal against Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to allow Willis to lead the prosecution. Despite this, McAfee’s judgment mandated Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor romantically linked to Willis, to step down from the case, leading to Wade’s resignation following the ruling.
Appeal Granted
In response to Trump’s request, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a brief order agreeing to hear his appeal. The timing for the arguments is yet to be determined.
The Legal Battle in Fulton County
Former President Trump and a group of his associates faced legal troubles in Fulton County, Georgia, where they were accused of participating in a racketeering scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. Despite the charges brought by District Attorney Willis, Trump and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty. Some of them eventually agreed to plea deals, while others continued to fight the allegations.
The case took a dramatic turn when one of the co-defendants, Michael Roman, made serious allegations against Willis and another prosecutor, Wade. Roman claimed that there was an improper romantic relationship between Willis and Wade, which he believed influenced the case. According to Roman, Wade used funds from his work as a special prosecutor to finance their relationship, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
In response to these allegations, Trump, Roman, and several others involved in the case pushed for the removal of Willis and her team from the legal proceedings. They argued that the alleged misconduct and conflicts of interest undermined the fairness of the case and called for the charges against them to be dropped.
"President Trump is eager to present his arguments to the Georgia Court of Appeals regarding the dismissal of the case and the disqualification of DA Willis due to her alleged misconduct in this politically motivated prosecution," stated Trump's legal representative, Sadow. The district attorney's office chose not to comment on the matter.
Click here to read more about the case.Trump Legal Battles Continue
In a recent evidentiary hearing, D.A. Fani Willis defended herself against allegations of wrongdoing, emphasizing that she and her colleague split travel costs, with Willis often reimbursing in cash. The judge’s ruling in March allowed the case to proceed if the colleague stepped aside, but criticized Willis for a “tremendous lapse in judgement.”
Despite uncertainties about the timing of their relationship, the judge permitted Trump and others to appeal the decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals. The defendants formally applied for an appeal, potentially delaying the trial start date.
Legal Challenges Mount for Trump
Trump faces multiple legal battles, including a criminal trial in Manhattan for falsifying business records. Other cases involve alleged subversion of presidential power and mishandling of government records, with trials indefinitely postponed.
These developments suggest that the trials may not conclude before the upcoming presidential election, where Trump is expected to compete against President Biden in a rematch of the 2020 contest.
Implications for the Presidential Election
The ongoing legal issues raise questions about the impact on Trump’s candidacy and the election timeline. With trials postponed and appeals pending, the outcome remains uncertain as the election approaches.
Contributions to this report were made by Jared Eggleston and Nikole Killion.
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Georgia Appeals Court to Reconsider Fani Willis’ Involvement in Trump’s Fulton County Case
Islamabad High Court’s order to transfer Bushra Bibi from Banigala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail
The Islamabad High Court has approved the transfer request of Bushra Bibi, wife of former Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, from Bani Gala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail. Islamabad High Court Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb delivered the reserved verdict.
Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb of the Supreme Court, giving a safe verdict, accepted Bushra Bibi’s request for transfer to Adiala Jail. The court ordered Bushra Bibi to be transferred from Bani Gala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail. The Islamabad High Court had reserved the verdict last week after hearing the arguments of the parties.
It should be noted that on May 2, the Islamabad High Court had reserved its decision on the transfer request of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi from Bani Gala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail.
On April 16, the Islamabad High Court rejected the request of Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister and founding chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, who was convicted in the Tosha Khana case, from Bani Gala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail for non-compliance, while Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb remarked that the lawyers themselves do not want Bushra Bibi to go to jail.
Later on the same day, former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court regarding the transfer of Sub Jail Bani Gala to Adiala Jail.
On April 18, the Islamabad High Court adjourned the hearing till April 22, reviving the dismissed petition of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi for non-compliance with her transfer from Bani Gala to Adiala Jail.
It should be noted that on January 31, Bushra Bibi was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the Tosha Khana reference.
Later on the same day, Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi herself reached Adiala Jail to arrest her, where she was taken into custody and Bushra Bibi was transferred to Bani Gala and her residence was declared a sub-jail.
On February 6, Bushra Bibi approached the Islamabad High Court against declaring Bani Gala as a sub-jail.
On February 12, in the Islamabad High Court, the petition of Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister and founding chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan, convicted in the Tosha Khana case, against declaring Bani Gala as a sub-jail was scheduled for hearing.
On February 16, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf demanded an immediate medical check-up of founder chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi after reports surfaced regarding her declining health.
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Islamabad High Court’s order to transfer Bushra Bibi from Banigala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail
Former governor of Arauca investigated for irregularities in project financed with royalties
The Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation against the former high presidential advisor for Consolidation and Stabilization, (2019 – 2021), Emilio José Archila Peñalosa, the former governor of Arauca, José Facundo Castillo Cisneros, and former mayor of La Paz, Cesar, Martín Guillermo Zuleta Mieles.
Those mentioned are all members of the Collegiate Decision-Making Body, OCAD Paz, for alleged irregularities in a road paving project in Miranda, Cauca, financed with Royalty resources of $7,152 million.
According to the complaint received by the Attorney General’s Office, OCAD Paz would have designated the Mixed Fund for the Promotion of Sports, Social Development and Social Management as the executor of the project, without apparently having the experience, administrative and technical capacity to execute road infrastructure projects, in addition to presenting a very low royalty project management rate, of only 18%, factors that made its designation unfeasible.
Among the evidence requested by the Public Ministry from the municipal administration of Miranda Cauca are: the previous study carried out on the Mixed Fund for the Promotion of Sports, Social Development and Social Management to propose it as the executor of the project and a certification on the technical reasons and experience with which he was presented to Ocad Paz.
The management of the Mixed Fund was also asked to certify the technical qualities it had at the time of assuming the execution of the work, to provide the resumes of the personnel (civil and road engineers, architects, geologists and other professionals) willing to comply with the terms of the contract and the financial statements for the periods 2019 to 2021, among others.
Source: Attorney General’s Office
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Former governor of Arauca investigated for irregularities in project financed with royalties