A Georgia judge has rejected former United States President Donald Trump's bid to block an investigation into the 2020 election, including his alleged attempts to overturn the state's election results.
In the nine-page ruling filed on Monday, Judge Robert McBurney wrote that Trump could not legally mount a challenge following the latter's legal team filing a motion in March to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from investigating or prosecuting their client.
Judge Blocks Trump's Attempts
The Republican businessman's legal team also wanted to quash a report from a special grand jury investigating the former president in the case and block any "state prosecuting agency" from using evidence gathered by the jury.
McBurney noted that while being the subject of a highly publicized criminal investigation is most likely an unwelcome turn of events, no court in history has ever held that that status alone is a sufficient basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation, as per USA Today.
The latest development comes after Georgia's Supreme Court rejected a similar request from the former president where he tried to prevent officials from prosecuting him in the Fulton County investigation earlier this month.
At the time of the ruling, it said that Trump's filing did not have sufficient facts or the law necessary to mandate Willis' disqualification from the case. A different judge will hear a similar motion filed by the Republican businessman's legal team next week.
In an interview on Saturday, Willis said she would announce decisions on charges filed against the former president by September 1. She noted that "work is accomplished," adding that they have been working hard on the case for more than two years and are now "ready to go."
McBurney made a clear reference in an aside to the former president's attempts to capitalize on his legal woes. According to Politico, He said that some could turn a criminal investigation into golden political capital to make it seem more providential than problematic.
Attempt To Overturn Georgia Election Results
The judge also said that federal courts had already admonished Trump in his attempt to short-circuit a potential prosecution in the case of hoarding classified documents from the White House. Willis is widely expected to recommend charges against the former president and provide a potentially long list of enablers who aided Trump in subverting the election results in various states.
The former president has repeatedly attacked Willis, accusing the Democrat of mounting a political witch hunt against him to damage his prospects in the 2024 presidential election. However, courts have supported her efforts to take in dozens of Trump's top aides and allies, including former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former national security adviser Mike Flynn.
For months, local, state, and federal law enforcement officials in Atlanta have been privately meeting to plan enhanced security measures in anticipation of Willis' announcement of charges. Now, the focus is on the two criminal grand jury panels sworn in on July 11, said the Washington Post.
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