Supporters of former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement are pleased with Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to dismiss three charges against Trump in the Georgia election fraud case.
Last August, Trump and 18 others were accused of trying to overturn President Joe Biden’s win in Georgia in the 2020 election. The case was led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after a long investigation.
Trump Pleads Not Guilty
Former president Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him and believes the case is just an attempt to help Biden win the 2024 election.
In a recent verdict on Wednesday, Judge McAfee, who is overseeing the racketeering case, dismissed six charges from the indictment.
Charges Dismissed Due To Lack Of Detail
Among them were three charges against Trump for supposedly trying to convince former Georgia House Speaker David Ralston and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to break their oaths of office.
McAfee said the accusations against the defendants weren’t explained well enough, stating that “the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal.” Willis’ team can either refile the charges or challenge his decision.
Embarrassing For Fani Willis
The Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee reacted to McAfee’s decision on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. “How embarrassing for Fani Willis,” X account @JudiciaryGOP wrote.
Leo Terrell, a Civil Rights Attorney and Fox News contributor, wrote: “BAD NEWS FOR YOU #FaniWillis.” Valentina Gomez, a GOP candidate for Missouri’s Secretary of State who identifies as MAGA, posted: “To be honest all of the charges against Trump are part of a political agenda. Election interference.”
Next Up: Disqualifying Willis
Evan Kilgore, a Trump supporter who posts political news regularly on X, labeled McAfee’s decision a “huge win.”
“This is HUGE. KICK ROCKS FANI WILLIS!!!” Graham Allen, host of “Dear America” on Rumble, posted.
X user @_johnnymaga shared the news of McAfee’s ruling and wrote: “Next up: disqualifying Fani Willis.”
Personal Connection Could Disqualify Wills
Willis might be disqualified from the case after it was found out she has a personal connection with the special prosecutor on the case, Nathan Wade. Both Willis and Wade say this doesn’t mean they can’t work on the case.
Back in September, he offered an analysis of the sweeping RICO case that Willis was bringing against Trump and his allies.
Lists Of Witnesses Could Throw Surprises
He anticipated that the defense would likely run up against conflicts of interest. Smith also predicted that there might be problems because Atlanta’s legal circle is small, and there are 19 other people involved in the case who might have the same lawyers.
In his commentary, Wise Smith told a news outlet that Willis’ list of witnesses would likely include individuals who seem to be “surprises,” but that would be “very, very vital when getting certain pieces of evidence submitted.”
Expect A Lot Of Conflicts Of Interests
He pointed out that Kenneth Chesebro, one of the co-defendants had hired a lawyer who used to work for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Wise Smith said: “We’re going to see a lot of conflicts of interest.”
Although Wise Smith didn’t talk about any possible conflicts of interest on the prosecution’s side, Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade has become a major issue in the election interference case.
Romantic Relationship Sparks Legal Controversy
When it came out in a court document in January that Willis and Wade were in a romantic relationship, some of the defendants involved in the case asked for Willis’ office to be taken off the prosecution.
Willis and Wade say their relationship doesn’t create a conflict of interest, but the defense argues that just the appearance of something wrong is enough to have them removed from the case.
Sadow Praises Court’s Verdict
During the evidentiary hearing, Judge Scott McAfee recalled that there have been quite a number of cases where prosecutors were taken off a case just because it seemed like there might be a conflict of interest.
The accusations of misconduct don’t just put the strongest of the four criminal charges against Trump at risk but also cast a shadow over Willis’ political future. After McAfee’s decision, Steve Sadow, who is leading Trump’s defense in Georgia, said in an email to Newsweek that the court made the “correct legal choice” to dismiss “significant parts” of the indictment.
Trump’s Charges Continues
“The ruling is a correct application of the law, as the prosecution failed to make specific allegations of any alleged wrongdoing on those counts,” Sadow said. “The entire prosecution of President Trump is political, constitutes election interference, and should be dismissed.”
While the charges have been dropped, Trump still faces several others and Willis’ case can continue without them.
A Marathon, Not A Sprint
Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor and legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, wrote on X following McAfee’s ruling that the case is a “marathon, not a sprint.” He called the ruling “not a good look” for Willis, but noted that it can be remedied.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, talked about Judge Scott McAfee’s choice to dismiss three charges against the ex-president in the Georgia election interference case.
A Step In The Right Direction
Speaking on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum, Habba said the judge’s decision to drop the three charges was a “step in the right direction.”
“I wish all the counts had been dropped because that’s probably what should have been. I mean, at least it’s a step in the right direction. It goes to the sloppiness of, frankly, the prosecutors down there, we know that’s the case, and more importantly that they should have not been brought in general,” Habba said.
Willis’s Ethical Conducts Questioned
Habba also mentioned Willis possibly breaking ethical rules because of her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got a prosecutor here who is being questioned about her own ethical obligations, her ability to even stay on this case. I’m going to defer to this judge to make the right decision, but today was a good step in the right direction,” Habba added.
