Former U.S. President Donald Trump has asked a Georgia judge to order the state to pay him more than $6 million in legal fees tied to his defence against election interference charges, a move that highlights disputes over how litigation costs are allocated in high-profile criminal cases. Trump and his legal team filed their request after prosecutors signalled they would oppose the fee award, asserting that the circumstances of the case do not warrant shifting costs to the state.
The motion centres on Trump’s defence in a sprawling prosecution alleging that he and several allies sought to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia through a combination of unlawful pressure on state officials and a false slate of electors. Trump, whose criminal cases have spanned multiple jurisdictions, argues that key legal work was performed to challenge what he claims were unconstitutional aspects of the Georgia prosecution, and that the costs should be borne by taxpayers rather than by him personally.
Under Georgia law, a judge may award attorney fees to defendants under certain conditions, particularly when conduct by prosecutors is deemed frivolous or in bad faith. Trump’s filing contends that the charges against him met those criteria and that the public interest supports compensating his legal team for extensive pre-trial work, complex motions practice and preparation for trial. His attorneys asserted that such an award would uphold accountability for prosecutorial conduct and deter future overreach.
But Fulton County prosecutors told the court they would oppose Trump’s fee application, arguing that the case was brought in good faith based on evidence gathered during a grand jury investigation, and that shifting costs to the state would undermine the public’s ability to pursue legitimate criminal justice actions. They maintain that the election interference charges reflect serious allegations about undermining a cornerstone of democratic practice, and that fee awards are inappropriate under the statutory framework.
