By The Opinion
04 Dec 2024, 00:48 AM EST
A judge in Georgia’s Fulton County ordered Prosecutor Fani Willis’ office to turn over documents from its investigation into 2020 election interference that were sent to special counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. of Representatives of the United States.
The order arises from a lawsuit filed in March by the conservative nonprofit group Judicial Watch, who sued Willis after Fulton County claimed it had no record responding to the lawsuit, neither from the special counsel’s office nor from the House Select Committee.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney on Monday ordered Willis to produce all records within five business days and determined that violated the state’s open records law by failing to respond to the lawsuit.
Judge McBurney granted the default judgment because Willis failed to present a “meritorious defense” and instead claimed she had not been properly served, according to ABC News.
Last year, Donald Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty to all counts in an indictment for alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
Four defendants subsequently accepted plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.
Smith filed the federal election interference and classified documents cases against Trump before both cases were dismissed due to presidential immunity following Trump’s re-election last month.
Trump’s criminal case in Georgia is on hold after Trump and his co-defendants launched an effort to have Willis disqualified from the case over her relationship with Wade.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee refused to disqualify Willis, but The case has been stayed while Trump and his co-defendants appeal the decision.
An oral argument for the appeal was initially scheduled for Dec. 5, but was unexpectedly canceled last month without explanation.
Keep reading:
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• Judge dismisses two charges against Trump in Georgia election case