Fulton County judge rejects Trump's bid to disqualify DA from 2020 election probe

A Fulton County judge on Monday denied former President Donald Trump's request to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting him in her agency's probe of his efforts to challenge the 2020 election in Georgia. 

In a 9-page order, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney also denied Trump's motion to quash the grand jury report, which recommended indictments. The judge also dismissed Trump's attempt to prevent prosecutors from using evidence that the grand jury obtained.

Trump was joined in his motion by Cathleen Latham, an "alternate" elector picked by the Georgia Republican Party after the 2020 election. 

Days before McBurney's order, Senior Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster scheduled an Aug. 10 hearing on a separate bid from Trump to disqualify Willis and McBurney and quash the final report. It is unclear whether that hearing will still occur, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

McBurney said in his order that the case pending against him being overseen by Schuster is now "moot."

Trump said earlier this month that he expects to be indicted in the Georgia case. He faces a separate federal investigation for his involvement in efforts to challenge the election and the subsequent Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

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