The Georgia Court of Appeals on Monday abruptly canceled previously scheduled oral arguments in President-elect Donald Trump’s effort to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the 2020 election interference case against Trump and 14 others.
Oral arguments were initially set to take place on Dec. 5 but have been canceled “until further order,” according to the appeals court’s one-sentence filing.
The appeals court order did provide a reason for the cancellation.
Willis’ sprawling racketeering and influence case against Trump, 78, and his co-defendants has been on hold since June – pending the outcome of the president-elect’s attempt to remove the Atlanta-area district attorney from the case.
Trump’s legal team has argued that Willis should be disqualified from the case over misconduct related to her romantic relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee had previously ruled that the embattled DA could remain on the case as long as her former lover stepped down — which he subsequently did.
Trump’s appeal seeks to have McAfee’s decision overturned before his case heads to trial.
The 45th president’s legal team argues that Willis’ entanglement with Wade amounted to a conflict of interest, and that the DA misused public funds by benefitting from her boyfriend’s earnings when he took her on lavish vacations.
The future of Willis’ case, which accuses Trump and his co-defendants of scheming to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the Peach State, was already in doubt even before Monday’s delay – with the president-elect set to return to the White House in January.
Trump, who faces 13 felony counts in the case, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.