A hearing in Donald Trump’s Georgia racketeering case has been abruptly cancelled.
The court was due to hear oral arguments on Dec 5 about Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, remaining on the case amid a controversy over her relationship with the special prosecutor.
However, on Monday, the hearing was cancelled without explanation “until further order” in what could be a prelude to proceedings being called off altogether.
The criminal cases against Mr Trump have been thrown into disarray since his victory in the presidential election.
Last month, a judge overseeing Mr Trump’s 2020 election interference case in Washington, DC cancelled the remaining court dates.
Jack Smith, the special counsel, later said he was in the process of winding down the case altogether, citing longstanding justice department policy about not prosecuting a sitting president.
Mr Trump was indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia in August last year, accused of a scheme of illegally attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state.
It led to him becoming the first former US president to have a mugshot taken.
Election victory
Legal commentators had widely expected the case to be put on hold following the Republican’s election victory.
The Georgia case was once seen as one of the most serious of Mr Trump’s criminal cases, but it was derailed when it emerged that Ms Willis had a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor.
Ms Willis was accused of a conflict of interest after engaging Mr Wade on the case, who subsequently bought holidays for the pair of them.
The Fulton County district attorney claimed the relationship began after she hired Mr Wade for the case, and that she had repaid the money for the holidays.
Steve Sadow, acting for Mr Trump, argued in court last year that the Georgia trial would have to be delayed by several years if his client returned to the White House.
He claimed that the Constitution’s supremacy clause – which sets out how federal law takes precedence over state law – means this could only take place after Mr Trump leaves office, which will happen in 2029 if he serves out his full term.
Ms Willis declined to comment on the future of the case following Mr Trump’s election win when asked by The New York Times.
