FULTON COUNTY, GA — A renewed effort by President Donald Trump and several of his co-defendants to recover nearly $17 million in legal fees tied to Fulton County’s now-dismissed election interference case is drawing pushback from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Trump attorney Steve Sadow, speaking previously with WSB Radio, defended the request for reimbursement. The total sought exceeds $17 million, including more than $6 million in attorney fees requested by Trump alone.

The racketeering case, which stemmed from efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia, was dismissed last fall. Pete Skandalakis, head of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, ruled the case should have been brought in federal court rather than state court.

Four defendants pleaded guilty before the case was dismissed.

Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in Fulton County in August 2023. Prosecutors accused them of participating in a wide-ranging effort to overturn the state’s election results. The allegations included asking Georgia’s Republican secretary of state to “find” enough votes to reverse Trump’s loss, harassing an election worker and attempting to persuade state lawmakers to ignore certified results and appoint an alternate slate of electors.

Willis was later disqualified from the election interference case by a state appeals court after judges determined her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to lead the prosecution, created a conflict that warranted removal.

In April 2025, Georgia lawmakers advanced a bill that would require Fulton County taxpayers to cover Trump’s legal expenses in the dismissed case. The proposal has fueled debate over whether local taxpayers should bear the financial burden tied to the high-profile prosecution.

Willis’ office has pushed back on the reimbursement effort, arguing the request is not warranted despite the case’s dismissal.