Willis Seeks Appeal Role in Trump Fee Fight
Fulton County's former prosecutor asks Georgia's appeals court to let her intervene in a dispute over Trump's legal bills.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Law
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Fani Willis's office asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to allow her to intervene in Donald Trump's legal fee dispute after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied her proposed intervention. Willis was previously disqualified from prosecuting the 2020 election RICO case in Fulton County.
Why it matters
The outcome will determine whether more than $6 million in fees sought by Trump's lead attorney, and nearly $17 million including other former defendants, is paid out under a new Georgia law. Willis's office argues the fee dispute is legally distinct from the criminal case.
Fani Willis's office has asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to allow intervention after Judge Scott McAfee denied it. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 17 before Judges Elizabeth Gobeil, J. Wade Padgett and Ken Hodges III, and the fee amount remains contested.
The players
Fani Willis
Former Fulton County District Attorney whose office was disqualified from prosecuting the 2020 election case against Donald Trump and others.
Donald Trump
President of the United States who was a defendant in the Fulton County RICO case and seeks recovery of his legal fees.
Georgia Court of Appeals
Georgia's intermediate appellate court, which ruled 2-1 to disqualify Willis and will hear oral arguments on her intervention request.
The details
Willis was disqualified from the 2020 election RICO case in December 2024 by a 2-1 Court of Appeals ruling, and the Georgia Supreme Court declined to reverse it. Prosecutor Peter Skandalakis later filed a nolle prosequi abandoning the case, leaving Trump's attorneys to seek reimbursement under a new state law.
Timeline
December 2024: Georgia Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 disqualifying Willis and her office.
November 17: Georgia Court of Appeals oral arguments on intervention are scheduled.
Legal Context
The fee fight is among the first tests of Georgia's new law allowing ex-defendants to recover legal costs after a prosecutor is disqualified for improper conduct. How courts apply it could shape reimbursement claims well beyond this single Fulton County case.
Whether Willis may intervene determines who controls arguments over roughly $17 million in fees tied to the dismissed case. Taxpayers in Georgia may ultimately bear part of any reimbursement awarded under the new state law.
The takeaway
The dispute shows that disqualifying a prosecutor can carry financial consequences for the state long after a case is dropped, so readers should watch how the Court of Appeals rules on intervention.
What happens next
The Georgia Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on Willis's intervention request on November 17.
Further reading
Explore more Georgia Law coverage for background on the state's courts and statutes.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Law & Crime.
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Should prosecutors who are disqualified for misconduct pay the legal fees of defendants?
