Efforts by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal team to dismiss evidence related to an ongoing investigation into alleged election interference in 2020 were turned down by a Fulton County, Georgia judge on Monday.
Judge Robert McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, in his nine-page ruling, remarked that the alleged ‘injuries’ cited by the motioning party as grounds for their claims were either insufficient or speculative.
Furthermore, McBurney dismissed Trump’s attempts to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case. He declared her involvement as neither politically motivated nor personal. McBurney, who previously presided over grand jury proceedings with Willis, criticized the personal invective from the movants as contrasting to Willis’ approach.
“They are insufficient because, while being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation.”
This ruling marks the second setback for Trump’s legal team who are trying to stave off the probe. Earlier this month, the state’s Supreme Court also denied another suit filed by Trump aimed at thwarting the investigation.
District Attorney Willis, expressing her satisfaction with the progress of the investigation, said, “The work is accomplished.” She acknowledged the discontent with some of her decisions, attributing it to potentially harmful reactions from the disgruntled.
“Put differently, the District Attorney’s Office has been doing a fairly routine – and legally unobjectionable – job of public relations in a case that is anything but routine.
In anticipation of Willis’ impending announcement regarding charges, local law enforcement officials have heightened security measures. Willis has commended this move and revealed she penned a letter to the sheriff regarding courthouse security measures. “I’m not willing to put any of the employees or the constituents that come to the courthouse in harm’s way,” Willis said at the time.
Willis is expected to present her case against Trump to a grand jury by September 1.
It has been reported that Willis is considering bringing racketeering and conspiracy charges against Trump and his allies who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
