Marco Bello/Reuters
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the Breakthrough Action Conference on July 15, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
CNN
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The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday rejected former President Donald Trump’s long-running legal challenge. Fulton County Criminal Investigation In his efforts to overcome a 2020 election loss in Georgia.
The court said in a five-page opinion that Trump had not demonstrated “extraordinary circumstances” requiring their intervention at this time. Trump asked Georgia judges to throw out the vast amount of evidence collected so far in the Fulton County investigation and bar the use of that material in any future criminal or civil proceedings.
“(Trump) has not shown that this case presents one of the rare circumstances in which this court’s original jurisdiction should be exercised, and therefore, the petition is dismissed,” the ruling said.
The decision was unanimous. Eight of the nine members of the Georgia Supreme Court are appointed by Republican governors.
Other legal challenges related to the Fulton County criminal investigation into Trump are still pending. He has denied wrongdoing and says prosecutors are investigating him only because they want to undermine his 2024 presidential campaign.
Charging decisions are expected soon in the investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. Trump and his allies pressured Georgia election officials, state lawmakers, the governor and related federal attorneys to help reverse the results in Georgia, which lost by less than 12,000 of the 5 million votes cast. actors.
Trump’s legal challenges also sought a court order barring Willis, an elected Democrat, from participating in any activities related to the criminal investigation. The Georgia Supreme Court said Monday that Trump’s petition to the high court “does not present the facts or law necessary for this court to disqualify Willis on this record.”
Willis’ office declined to comment on the ruling. CNN has reached out to Trump’s lawyers for comment.
The trial passed a major milestone last week, when a new jury with the power to approve possible indictments was sworn in. That could happen as soon as next month, Willis said. A special purpose grand jury in Fulton County previously heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including Trump White House officials, former Trump lawyers and advisers, Georgia officials and election experts.
Prosecutors are investigating Trump’s efforts to subvert the Electoral College with “fake voters” in Georgia, as well as efforts by some Trump allies to tamper with voting systems in the state.
