The claim: Trump’s election fraud case in Georgia ended on Feb. 6, 2024
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According to a Facebook post shared on February 6th, the conservative account America First asserts that the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump in Fulton County, Georgia, has suddenly concluded.
The post declares a breaking update: “The case is over – Fani Willis finally admits it.”
In just two days, this post garnered over 70 shares.
Our rating: False
As of February 8, 2024, two experts and a Fulton County Superior Court staff attorney have confirmed that the Georgia case is still ongoing.
Georgia case against Trump, co-defendants remains on the docket
Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, is facing charges in Fulton County for allegedly attempting to steal the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. So far, four of the defendants have pleaded guilty, while Trump and the remaining 14 co-defendants maintain their plea of not guilty.
The attorneys representing the ex-president and one of his co-defendants approached Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, requesting the dismissal of the case. They argued that Fulton County’s district attorney, Willis, had a personal relationship with the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade.
According to Austin Bragg, a judicial staff attorney for the court, the disclosure made in the Facebook post did not bring the proceedings to an end. Contrary to the claim, the case was still ongoing as of February 7, with a hearing on the dismissal motion scheduled for February 15.
According to John Banzhaf, a professor emeritus of law at George Washington University who has been closely following the case, any claim suggesting otherwise is incorrect. He asserts that the criminal case against Trump is still active, with Willis serving as the District Attorney and Wade as a prosecutor.
The Facebook post is worded in a way that may lead readers to believe that there has been a recent and significant development in the case, with the use of the term “breaking” and the assertion that the case is now “over.” However, according to experts and a court official, there have been no changes in the status of the proceedings.
According to Melissa Redmon, a law professor at the University of Georgia and a former deputy district attorney in Fulton County, the case is still pending.
The Facebook post contains a link to an article discussing the court filings aimed at removing Willis. It also mentions the February hearing regarding the motion to dismiss filed by Michael Roman’s attorney, who was one of Trump’s 2020 campaign officials. However, the article incorrectly states the date of the hearing and lacks any evidence to substantiate the claim.
In a court filing on February 2, Willis acknowledged her personal relationship with Wade. Despite the controversy, she firmly refused to step down. She maintained her innocence, stating that she had not engaged in any wrongdoing, had no conflict of interest, and had not received any financial benefits from the relationship. Willis emphasized that there was absolutely no justification to dismiss the indictment or disqualify her, her office, or the special prosecutor.
Misinformation surrounding elections in Georgia has become a common occurrence. USA TODAY has previously debunked several false claims related to this topic. These include allegations that a lawsuit uncovered thousands of duplicate ballots in Fulton County, the notion that Georgia is being used as a testing ground by Democrats for a “private takeover of election offices” in 2024, and the claim that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office admitted to counting invalid ballots in the 2020 election.
USA TODAY contacted America First but did not receive an immediate response.
