A failed Georgia prosecution that tried to criminalize questioning an election may now cost the Fulton County DA more than $6 million — paid straight to President Trump.
Story Snapshot
- Trump is asking a Fulton County judge to order over $6.26 million in legal-fee reimbursement after the Georgia election case against him was dismissed.
- A new Georgia law lets defendants recover fees when a prosecutor is disqualified for misconduct and the case is later thrown out.
- DA Fani Willis was removed over an “appearance of impropriety” tied to her relationship with her handpicked special prosecutor.
- Any award would hit the Fulton County DA’s own budget and, indirectly, local taxpayers.
How a Sweeping Election Case Collapsed Into a Fee Fight
The Georgia saga began when Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election results, including his now-famous call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. That probe grew into a sweeping 2023 RICO indictment against Trump and eighteen others, accusing them of a broad effort to overturn Georgia’s outcome.
Defense attorneys quickly turned the spotlight back on Willis. In early 2024, they revealed her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had personally hired and whose taxpayer-funded fees allegedly helped pay for trips the pair took together. After testimony from both, the trial judge blasted Willis’ judgment but initially let her stay if Wade resigned. An appeals court later removed Willis and her entire office anyway, citing an appearance of impropriety that undermined public confidence in the case.
The New Georgia Law That Could Send Trump the Bill
While the disqualification fight played out, Georgia’s Republican-led legislature passed a targeted fee-shifting law in 2025. The statute allows criminal defendants to ask for “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs” when they successfully disqualify a prosecutor for misconduct and the case is then dismissed. Sponsors openly acknowledged they had the Trump case in mind, reflecting grassroots anger at what many saw as a politically motivated prosecution.
After the Georgia Court of Appeals sidelined Willis, the case was reassigned to Pete Skandalakis, head of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. Less than two weeks after taking over, he dismissed the charges against Trump in November 2025, exercising his discretion to end a case already tainted by ethical controversy. That dismissal triggered Trump’s eligibility to use the new statute. On January 8, 2026, his legal team filed a motion asking for $6,261,613.08 in fees and costs
Watch:
What Trump’s Fee Request Means for Taxpayers and Prosecutors
Judge Scott McAfee now has two major questions: whether the new law can constitutionally apply to Trump’s case and, if so, how much of the $6.26 million request counts as “reasonable.” Any award would be paid from the Fulton County DA’s operating budget, not from some abstract pot of money in Washington. That means local taxpayers and ordinary criminal cases could feel the squeeze if millions are diverted to cover the fallout from a failed, politicized prosecution that never reached trial.
Trump Seeks $6 Million Legal Fee Reimbursement For Dismissed Georgia Election Case https://t.co/X5urD57Xgk
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 8, 2026
Willis’ office is already trying to blunt the impact by challenging the law itself. In earlier filings in a related defendant’s request, her team argued that forcing a locally elected prosecutor’s office to pay defendants’ fees intrudes on separation of powers, punishes a constitutional officer for core prosecutorial decisions, and unfairly applies retroactively to conduct that predated the statute. Other defendants are expected to file similar motions, pushing potential exposure toward $10 million and sending a clear warning to prosecutors statewide about the real cost of politically charged missteps.
Sources:
Trump seeks $6 million after Georgia election case dismissal
Trump asks for more than $6.2M in legal fees after Georgia election case dismissal
Trump looks to collect $6 million in legal fees from dismissed Georgia election case
DOJ drops assault charges in Georgia election case defendant matter
