Overview
- Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied District Attorney Fani Willis’s bid to intervene in the attorney‑fee dispute, ruling her office remains wholly disqualified from the collapsed prosecution.
- McAfee granted Fulton County government permission to participate due to potential taxpayer exposure, finding the county funds the DA’s office and could be liable for any award.
- Fourteen former defendants, including President Donald Trump, seek roughly $16.85 million under a 2025 Georgia law allowing reimbursement when a prosecutor is disqualified, with Trump requesting more than $6.2 million.
- The court scheduled evidentiary proceedings to assess each fee claim’s reasonableness in chronological order, though Willis’s office has asked for a stay pending appellate review.
- Willis’s filing argues exclusion violates due process and targets her budget, while the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council remains the state’s representative after her disqualification for an appearance of impropriety linked to a relationship with a special prosecutor.