ATLANTA, Ga. — A Georgia appeals court on Thursday disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from leading the prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump and others accused of criminal election interference in the state’s 2020 presidential election.

While the court removed Willis from the case, it upheld the validity of the indictment against Trump and multiple co-defendants, allowing the case to proceed under new prosecutorial oversight.

The defendants face allegations stemming from their alleged efforts to overturn Georgia’s election results, where President Joe Biden narrowly defeated Trump.

The court’s decision reversed an earlier ruling by a Fulton County trial judge, who had permitted Willis to remain on the case despite claims by Trump’s legal team that her romantic relationship with a senior prosecutor she had selected for the case constituted a conflict of interest.

The ruling marks a significant development in the high-profile prosecution, which has drawn national attention as Trump prepares to take office following the 2024 election.

The appeals court did not specify who would oversee the prosecution moving forward, leaving that decision to state officials.

Fani Willis’s removal adds a new layer of uncertainty to the already complex legal proceedings involving the former president.

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