US judge denies Georgia prosecutor's bid to block $17m legal fee demand by Trump and allies

US President Donald Trump and several of his former co-defendants are seeking nearly $17 million in legal fees after the collapse of the Georgia election interference case. A Fulton County judge has now rejected District Attorney Fani Willis' attempt to block those payments, allowing the legal battle over attorney fees to move forward.

The dispute follows the dramatic unravelling of the high-profile racketeering case that accused Trump and 18 allies of attempting to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. The Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the prosecution, citing an appearance of impropriety related to her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. That decision eventually led to the dismissal of the case.

Now the focus has shifted from criminal charges to a major financial fight. Trump alone is seeking more than $6.2 million in legal costs, while the combined claims from other defendants could push the total close to $17 million. The requests are based on a Georgia law that allows defendants to recover legal expenses if a prosecutor is disqualified and the case is later dismissed.

Willis has strongly opposed the claims, arguing the law should not apply in this situation and questioning several of the expenses listed in the filings. With the judge allowing the claims to proceed, courts must now decide whether Fulton County could ultimately be responsible for paying millions of dollars.

The case has now entered a new phase, raising a key question: who will ultimately pay the bill for one of the most controversial election-related prosecutions in recent years?