The Georgia judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case said he likely will rule this week on whether Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from it.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has been deliberating for more than a week on whether to remove Willis for violations of conflict of interest regarding her secret romance with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor on the case.
After hearings on whether Willis should be disqualified ended March 4, McAfee said he would deliberate for two weeks.
"There is a lot that I have to go through," McAfee told WSB-FM in Atlanta on Friday, according to Breitbart. "… I gave myself a deadline because I knew everyone wanted an answer. And I'll tell you that an order like this takes time to write.
"I am calling as best I can and the law as I understand it. So, I still feel like I'm on track to having that done by the deadline that I put on myself."
McAfee told the radio station the length of his deliberations had nothing to do with whether he was waiting to see if a challenger emerged for this year's election. Civil rights lawyer and radio talk show host Robert Patillo reportedly said last week he will challenge McAfee, who is seeking a full four-year term after being appointed to the bench by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022.
"And so, I've had — and again I'll emphasize this — I've had a rough draft in an outline before I ever heard a rumor that someone wanted to run for this position, so the result is not going to change because of politics," McAfee said.
Contests for superior court seats in Georgia are nonpartisan, and unlike partisan races, judicial contests are not on the ballot in November, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The election will be held May 21 — the same date of the primary for partisan races for Congress and the state Legislature — and a runoff, if needed, would be held June 18.
On Wednesday, McAfee dismissed six charges from the indictment against Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to face Joe Biden in November, and 18 co-defendants. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the case.