Trump seeks $6.2 million in legal fees after Georgia election case dismissal

President Donald Trump is asking a Georgia judge to order the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office to reimburse more than $6.2 million in legal fees and expenses following the dismissal of the state’s election interference case against him.

According to The Associated Press, Trump filed the motion Wednesday under a Georgia law passed last year that allows defendants to seek reimbursement of legal costs when a disqualified prosecutor’s case is dismissed. According to the statute a judge deciding whether fees should be paid from the prosecutor’s office budget.

The filing seeks $6,261,613.08.

Willis had secured an indictment in August 2023 charging Trump and 18 others under Georgia’s racketeering law. Prosecutors alleged the defendants coordinated efforts to overturn Trump’s narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden, including Trump’s call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to help find enough votes to change the outcome. Four defendants later pleaded guilty.

AP News reported that the case was dismissed in November after a new prosecutor assumed control. Former Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office were removed earlier after an appeals court found that her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade created an appearance of impropriety.

After Willis’ removal, the case was reassigned to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. Its executive director, Pete Skandalakis, took over and dismissed the charges less than two weeks later.

Trump’s lead Georgia attorney Steve Sadow said the former president is entitled to reimbursement under state law for defending what he called a politically motivated prosecution. A spokesperson for Willis declined AP News’ request for a comment on the Trump’s filing.

In earlier court documents, her office argued that the reimbursement law is unconstitutional, raising separation-of-powers concerns and unfairly shifting financial burdens to Fulton County taxpayers. Willis has maintained that the prosecution was lawful and based on years of investigation, including grand jury findings.