When Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched an investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia, it quickly turned into one of the most explosive legal battles in modern political history. What followed was several other legal ventures, courtroom drama, ethics accusations, and appeals, all of which cost the Peach State taxpayers. Just how much Georgia residents have already paid and may still be on the hook for, however, is still in question.
Willis Pursues Trump: The Timeline
It all began in 2020, when Georgia became a contested battleground for the presidential election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. There were concerns that the ballots may not have been counted correctly. In 2021, Trump spoke with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and said he wanted officials to “find 11,780 votes,” which was one more than Biden’s margin of victory in the Peach State. This was the beginning of Willis and her pursuit of the commander-in-chief.
In February 2021, Willis formally launched a criminal investigation into what she said were attempts to overturn the Georgia election results. In January 2022, she sought a judge’s approval for a special-purpose grand jury, saying many witnesses were not cooperating voluntarily. Midway through that year, several of Trump’s associates became targets of her investigation.
On August 14, 2023, Willis indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), with prosecutors alleging the defendants participated in a coordinated effort to overturn Georgia’s election results. What followed were motions, appeals, and other legal procedures to fight the indictments.
And then Willis was taken to the mat for having a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to help prosecute Trump. Defense attorneys argued their relationship was a conflict of interest and accused her of financially benefiting from his appointment through shared vacations and travels.
Later, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from prosecuting the case, and in 2025, Pete Skandalakis took over. In November last year, prosecutors officially dropped all remaining charges against Trump.
After five years of legal battles and scandals, the citizens of Fulton County will now have to foot the bill for Willis’ determination – and failure – to take down Trump. But no one knows how much that will be.
The cost will be borne by the whole state through the ripple effect.
She’s a big lying POS!!!