Challenger to the judge in Trump’s 2020 Georgia election interference case is disqualified

ATLANTA (AP) — One of two people who filed paperwork to run against the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s 2020 Georgia election interference case has been disqualified but says she plans to appeal that decision.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a final decision Tuesday saying that Tiffani Johnson is not qualified to run for the seat held by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. The decision by Raffensperger, a Republican, follows an administrative law judge’s finding last week that Johnson was unqualified after she failed to appear at a hearing on a challenge to her eligibility.

Johnson said in an emailed statement Wednesday that her team “is appealing this to the Secretary of State and Fulton Superior Court and we are confident we will ultimately prevail.”

McAfee, who previously worked as both a federal and a state prosecutor, took the bench just over a year ago after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp appointed him to fill a vacancy. Even if Johnson’s appeal is unsuccessful, McAfee still faces another challenger, civil rights attorney Robert Patillo, in May’s nonpartisan election.

Johnson’s campaign website says she has experience as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney and has a background in civil and criminal law.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> He once swore off politics. Now, this Georgia activist is trying to recruit people who seldom vote </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Rudy