ATLANTA, Georgia (PNN) - March 11, 2026 - A Fulton County judge handed President Donald J. Trump a new courtroom win, by blocking District Attorney Fani Willis from joining the fight over millions in legal fees tied to her collapsed Georgia racketeering case.
Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis was already “wholly disqualified” from the prosecution and therefore cannot take part in the battle over $16.8 million that President Trump and his co-defendants want repaid.
President Trump earlier this year asked Willis’ office to reimburse him more than $6.2 million in attorney fees and costs.
McAfee’s order marked another turn in President Trump’s yearslong fight with Willis.
The source text says President Trump called Willis a “rabid partisan” on a “witch hunt” during the prosecution.
The ruling now cuts Willis out of the legal fight over the money.
The defendants are seeking legal fees under a Georgia law passed in 2025.
That law allows defendants to be repaid in cases where prosecutors are disqualified.
McAfee said Fulton County could still be involved because any payment would come from the county’s budget.
Willis’ lawyers argued in court filings that she should still have a say before any money is taken from her budget.
“Without intervention by the District Attorney, any award would violate basic fundamental notions of due process by denying her an opportunity to be heard or even challenge the reasonableness of the claimed attorney fees before it is taken from her budget,” the lawyers wrote.
McAfee rejected that push.
His order said Willis could not be party to the fee dispute because she had already been removed from the prosecution.
That decision shut the door on her attempt to reenter the case fight.
President Trump’s lead attorney Steve Sadow said McAfee got it right.
“Judge McAfee has properly denied DA Willis’ motion to intervene in POTUS’ action for reimbursement of attorney fees because her disqualification for improper conduct bars Willis and her office from any further participation in this dismissed, lawfare case,” Sadow said.
The source text says Willis first brought the sweeping racketeering case in August 2023.
She charged President Trump and 18 co-defendants with conspiring to interfere with the 2020 election.
The case was later cut down through plea deals and dismissed charges.
Its biggest collapse came in 2024.
The Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis after finding that her undisclosed romantic relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade presented a conflict of interest.
That ruling stripped the case from her hands.
After Willis was disqualified, the case was turned over to the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.
Its director, Peter Skandalakis, moved to dismiss the prosecution.
McAfee granted that request.
“In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years,” Skandalakis said.
The fight over legal fees is still alive.
Willis is not part of it anymore.
President Trump and his co-defendants are still seeking millions of dollars tied to the failed prosecution.
The latest ruling leaves Fulton County facing the next phase of the case without Willis at the table.