Trump Seeks $6.26 Million from Fulton County After Georgia Case Dismissal
President Donald Trump asks Fulton County to reimburse $6,261,613 in legal fees after his Georgia election interference case was dismissed following DA Fani Willis' disqualification.
Overview
Trump's attorneys, led by Steven Sadow, filed a motion seeking $6,261,613.08 in legal fees from Fulton County after the Atlanta election-interference case was dismissed.
The motion alleges DA Fani Willis launched a politically motivated investigation and was later disqualified amid fundraising and a disclosed romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
A Georgia law enacted in 2025 permits defendants to seek attorney fees when a prosecutor's improper conduct leads to disqualification and case dismissal; a judge will review any requested awards.
Trump and 18 others were indicted on racketeering charges alleging a multi-part conspiracy to overturn Georgia's 2020 results, including efforts to submit fake electors and 'find' 11,780 votes.
If multiple defendants seek reimbursement, total claims could approach $10 million; Fulton County officials warn taxpayers may ultimately cover awards and Willis' office challenges the law's constitutionality.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally, attributing allegations and counterclaims to their sources while providing procedural context (motions, statutes, judicial decisions). They balance Trump's attorneys' fee request and claims against prosecutors' allegations, include local taxpayer impact quotes, and note the conflict-of-interest controversy without endorsing either side.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Trump is invoking a Georgia statute enacted in 2025 that requires courts to award “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs” to defendants when a prosecutor is disqualified for improper conduct and the charges are then dismissed, allowing him to seek more than $6.2 million from Fulton County in his dismissed election interference case.
Fani Willis was disqualified after it was revealed that she had a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which appellate judges said created an appearance of impropriety and led to a ruling that she and her office could no longer prosecute Trump and his co-defendants in the case.
After Willis was removed, Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia Executive Director Peter Skandalakis took over the case and moved to drop the prosecution, arguing that continuing it would be futile, that the alleged acts were not sufficient to sustain a racketeering case, and that pursuing it would be unproductive given the legal and political context, leading a Fulton County Superior Court judge to dismiss the charges in November.
Trump is asking the court to order reimbursement of about $6.26 million in attorney fees and costs, and the same Georgia law allows each of his former co-defendants 45 days from dismissal to file their own claims, which could push total reimbursement requests from all defendants close to $10 million.
If the judge awards Trump and other defendants their attorney fees under the new statute, the financial burden would fall on Fulton County, and county officials have warned that local taxpayers may ultimately bear the cost of any multi-million-dollar awards.
History
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