Defendants Seek Nearly $17M in Legal Fees From Fani Willis’ Office
Trump Leads Reimbursement Requests Following Dismissal of Georgia Election Case.
In the wake of the dismissal of Georgia’s high-profile election interference case, President Donald Trump and a group of 12 co-defendants have collectively requested approximately $16.9 million in legal fee reimbursements from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office.
The claims stem from a 2025 Georgia law that allows criminal defendants to recover “all reasonable attorney’s fees and costs” if a prosecutor is disqualified for improper conduct and the case is subsequently dropped.
Trump’s request accounts for the largest share, with $6,261,613.08 sought to cover his personal defense costs. The remaining defendants, including high-profile figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and David Shafer, are pursuing the balance of the total based on their own legal expenses tied to the case.
“Protecting the rights of thousands of Georgians was worth whatever cost was incurred”.
separate testimony (December 2025) regarding the case’s costs, Willis stated
The underlying prosecution, which had centered on alleged attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, was dismissed in November 2025 after special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis moved to end the case following Willis’ disqualification by the Georgia Court of Appeals. The appeals court’s decision cited an “appearance of impropriety,” triggering the statute that empowers defendants to seek reimbursement.
The fee requests mark a significant financial repercussion for Willis’ office and add a new chapter to the ongoing controversies surrounding the handling of the election interference prosecution.
