Prosecutors Request 90 Days to Replace Disqualified Fani Willis in Georgia

Prosecutors in Georgia have requested a 90-day extension to appoint a new attorney to oversee the state’s election interference case against President Donald Trump and 14 co-defendants, following the permanent removal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, as reported by Fox News.

The request, filed Friday by Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PACGA), comes as the council assumes responsibility for appointing a replacement after Willis was disqualified over an ethics controversy.

Skandalakis said the large volume of case materials and the complexity of the investigation would require additional time before a new prosecutor can be named.

According to the filing, PACGA does not expect to receive the full case file for at least four weeks. Once the materials are turned over, the council is asking for up to 90 days to appoint a district attorney pro tempore.

“Due to the complexity of this case and the vast personnel and resources required to handle a case of this nature, it will require time to seek a District Attorney Pro Tempore willing to take on this prosecution,” the motion reads.

Skandalakis also noted that the council is managing 21 other pending appointments and has handled 448 conflict referrals across the state this year.

The motion follows a warning from a Fulton County judge earlier in the week that the case could be dismissed “for want of prosecution” unless a new prosecutor was appointed or an extension was formally requested within 14 days, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

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The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in December that Willis and her office could not continue to handle the case because of an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Willis appealed the decision to the Georgia Supreme Court, but the high court declined to take up the case in a 4-3 decision last month.

The case, which originally named 19 defendants, centers on allegations that Trump and his associates attempted to challenge Georgia’s 2020 election results through a series of legal and political actions.

The indictment, filed in August 2023 under the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, included 41 total counts.

Trump, his attorney Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and constitutional law professor John Eastman are among those charged. Four defendants have since pleaded guilty to lesser offenses.

Willis’ removal means the entire case now rests on the decision of whoever is appointed to replace her. “It will be up to him or her what to do with the case,” Skandalakis said last month, noting that the new prosecutor could pursue all, some, or none of the original charges.

Given the case’s scope and political implications, finding a prosecutor willing to lead the effort could take months. Even if the case proceeds, legal experts note that President Trump cannot be prosecuted while in office.

Trump and the others were indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in August 2023. He surrendered to authorities on August 24, when his booking photo — the first ever for a U.S. president — was taken.

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