Scott McAfee, a judge in Fulton County Georgia, has ruled on whether Fani Willis can continue to prosecute Donald Trump. Willis can stay on the case, but there is a catch. To keep her job, the district attorney must fire Nathan Wade.

Wade is the prosecutor with whom she had an affair and who was hired at a rate above market. Willis and he went on lavish vacations, which he charged to his business card. There was never any proof that the reimbursements had been made.

It is already a big deal that Willis has even gotten this far.

The idea that the case would be dismissed was not realistic, despite some hopeful proclamations from the right. The case would not have been dismissed if Willis had been removed. It’s probably best for Trump’s defense that she stays on as the face of prosecution, even after this setback. Willis’s removal would have made her look bad, but someone better qualified could have taken over.

This case will not go away. Willis’ reputation has been tarnished a little, but the defense of Trump will need to convince a juror that these charges are false. It’s important to know if the judge will allow this case to be tried before the elections, and, if not, what does it mean given that it is a state-related case? It’s uncharted terrain, and it could be very chaotic if Trump wins the election in November and a corrupt state prosecutor keeps trying to put him in prison.