ATLANTA — Former president Donald Trump and several allies charged in the Georgia election interference case asked the presiding judge to let them appeal his ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) to stay on the case.
Georgia
Trump seeks to appeal judge’s order keeping Fani Willis on Georgia case
The certificate, if approved, would allow defendants to appeal McAfee’s order before the Georgia Court of Appeals.
On Friday, McAfee ruled that Trump and the others had “failed to meet their burden” in proving that Willis’s romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade and allegations that she was financially enriched by trips the two took together were enough of a “conflict of interest” to remove her from the case. However, McAfee also found a “significant appearance of impropriety” and said either Willis and her office or Wade had to leave the case. Wade resigned later Friday.
In their Monday motion, Trump and the others argued that Wade’s resignation was “insufficient to cure the appearance of impropriety the Court has determined exists.”
“The Court found that District Attorney Willis’ actions had created an appearance of impropriety and an ‘odor of mendacity’ that lingers in this case, as well as the continuing possibility that ‘an outsider could reasonably think that District Attorney Willis is not exercising her independent professional judgment totally free of any compromising influences,’” the defense motion stated, quoting McAfee’s ruling.
“Defendants believe that the relevant case law requires dismissal of the case, or at the very least, the disqualification of the District Attorney and her entire office under the facts that exist here,” the motion added.
Trump and others had also argued that Willis should be disqualified because of comments she made in a Jan. 14 speech at a historic Black church in Atlanta where she suggested that the criticism of her and Wade was racially motivated.
McAfee ruled Friday that defendants had not proven that Willis’s comments had tainted the potential jury pool, partly because it was too early to know. He also said case law on forensic misconduct by prosecutors was too vague to determine whether Willis’s remarks met that standard. But the judge was deeply critical of Willis’s speech, describing it as “legally improper.”
Trump and the others pointed to McAfee’s opinion about the speech as they argued that a higher court should review his ruling.
“Whether District Attorney Willis and her Office are permitted to continue representing the State of Georgia in prosecuting the Defendants in this action is of the utmost importance to this case, and ensuring the appellate courts have the opportunity to weigh in on these matters pre-trial is paramount,” the defense motion stated.
The defense motion was initially filed by attorneys for eight co-defendants who originally sought to disqualify Willis, including Trump, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump campaign aides Mike Roman and Harrison Floyd, former Trump campaign attorney Robert Cheeley, former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer and Trump Georgia elector Cathleen Latham. Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark joined the motion a short time later, a delay caused by a “paperwork mistake,” according to his lawyer Harry MacDougald.
A spokesman for Willis declined to comment.
Steve Sadow, an attorney for Trump, said in a statement that McAfee’s ruling on Willis “is ripe for pretrial appellate review.”
McAfee has given no hints about whether he will grant defendants the right to appeal his ruling on Willis. In a separate order last week dismissing six counts of the original 41-count indictment, the judge included language informing prosecutors he would approve an appeal if they requested one. No such language was included in Friday’s order on Willis — an omission that surprised some involved in the case.
Defendants had 10 days from last Friday to seek a certificate of review. There is no timetable for McAfee as he considers whether to allow an appeal to move forward. If McAfee grants a review, Trump and others would have another 10 days to file their case before the state Court of Appeals, which then has 45 days to determine whether to take the case. If the appellate court declines to take the case, Trump and the other could ask the Georgia Supreme Court to hear it.
No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will host the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next Saturday in what will be the Rebels’ College Football Playoff debut.
After a historic 2025 campaign for the program in Oxford, Pete Golding and Co. will have home-field advantage in the first-round of the College Football Playoff against a fiery Tulane squad.
“I think this is something that this program is going to be the expectation moving forward. That’s something that I’m used to,” head coach Pete Golding said.
“That’s something when you invest a lot into programs and you’re aligned from the top down, from the chancellor to the athletic director to the head football coach to a really good growth collective led by Walker Jones and your elite, really good players, this should be the norm.”
With all eyes on the first-round showdown, the winner of the Dec. 20 matchup will hit the road to New Orleans (La.) to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars SuperDome the following weekend.
Which way does ESPN see the first-round matchup going? Who will take on the Georgia Bulldogs on Dec. 27?
The Game Information: College Football Playoff
Matchup: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Tulane Green Wave
Kickoff Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
TV Channel: TNT
Radio: Ole Miss Sports Radio Network
Ole Miss Rebels Record: 11-1 (7-1 SEC)
Tulane Green Wave Record: 11-2 (7-1 AAC)
Odds, Spread and Total: College Football PlayoffEmpty heading
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Ole Miss: -17.5 (-105)
- Tulane Green Wave: +17.5 (-115)
Moneyline
- Ole Miss: -900
- Tulane Green Wave: +590
Total
- Over 56.5 (-114)
- Under 56.5 (-106)
Ole Miss is currently listed as 17.5-point favorites in the program’s College Football Playoff debut against the Tulane Green Wave.
The over/under for the matchup sits at 56.5 with the Ole Miss offense looking to wreak havoc against the Green Wave.
According to the ESPN Football Power Index, the Ole Miss Rebels have a 84 percent chance to take down the Tulane Green Wave and advance to the quarterfinal round against the Georgia Bulldogs.
On the other side, Jon Sumrall and the Green Wave have a 16 percent chance of pulling off the upset with the program eyeing an opportunity to move on to the next round in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars SuperDome in New Orleans (La.)
ESPN currently believes that the Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs will square off in the Sugar Bowl at the Caesars SuperDome.
First-Round Games:
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon | 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 20
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Ole Miss | 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 20 on TNT, truTV, HBO Max
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M | Noon ET, Saturday, Dec. 20
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma | 8 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 19
Quarterfinals:
No. 1 Indiana vs. winner of No. 8 Oklahoma/No. 9 Alabama | 4 p.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 1
No. 2 Ohio State vs. winner of No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami | 7:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Dec. 31
No. 3 Georgia vs. winner of No. 6 Ole Miss/No. 11 Tulane | 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 1
No. 4 Texas Tech vs. winner of No. 5 Oregon/No. 12 James Madison | Noon ET, Thursday, Jan. 1
More Ole Miss News:
Lane Kiffin Reacts to New Offensive Coordinator Being Hired By Ole Miss Football
Ole Miss Football QB Trinidad Chambliss Wins Major Award Amid Breakout Season
ESPN Predicts Outcome of Ole Miss Football vs. Tulane Green Wave in CFP Showdown
Join the Community:
Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Georgia center Somto Cyril goes up for a dunk during the first half against Cincinnati in their NCAA basketball game in the Holiday Hoopsgiving at State Farm Arena, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. Georgia won 84-65. (Jason Getz/AJC)
By Olivia Sayer
6 hours ago
When Georgia basketball took the court Saturday afternoon at State Farm Arena, it resembled a team who had not faced another opponent in 11 days.
The Bulldogs came out lackadaisical with more turnovers than successful shots in the game’s first two minutes and faced an 11-point deficit before halftime.
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Georgia offensive lineman Dontrell Glover and running back Bo Walker were arrested for shoplifting at a Walmart on Friday, less than a week after the Bulldogs won the SEC Championship.
According to the Athens Banner-Herald, the freshmen were booked into Clarke County jail in Athens on two counts of misdemeanor shoplifting. Glover and Walker were arrested Friday evening and released on $1,526 bond before 8 p.m.
“We were informed of the charges and are currently in the process of gathering additional information,” Georgia spokesman Steve Drummond said in a statement. “This is a pending legal matter and we will not have further comment at this time.”
Walker played six games this season and rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Glover started 11 games in 2025 and was named to the All-SEC freshman team.
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Last month, offensive lineman Nyier Daniels was dismissed from the team by head coach Kirby Smart after he was arrested on more than a dozen criminal charges after he allegedly tried to flee from police north of Athens.
The Bulldogs beat Alabama last Saturday in the SEC title game and earned a place in the College Football Playoff. They will play again on Jan. 1 against the winner of Ole Miss-Tulane in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
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