Georgia prosecutor kills the historic election interference case against Trump and allies
A Georgia prosecutor on Wednesday officially dismissed the landmark racketeering case against President Donald Trump and 18 others, ending a legal battle over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that had once posed a serious threat to Trump’s political future.
The dismissal means Trump will not face criminal liability in Georgia for his attempts to challenge the state’s 2020 election results. Federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith—concerning election interference linked to the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot and the mishandling of classified documents—had already been dropped.
Peter Skandalakis, director of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia, explained Wednesday that the case’s legal complexities—including constitutional questions, the Supremacy Clause, immunity, jurisdiction, venue, and access to federal records—would make a jury trial years away. “Even assuming each of these issues were resolved in the State’s favor, bringing this case before a jury in 2029, 2030, or even 2031 would be nothing short of a remarkable feat,” he wrote.
Skandalakis considered separating Trump’s case from his co-defendants to try them first during Trump’s second term but concluded that it would be “both illogical and unduly burdensome and costly for the State and for Fulton County.” He added, “In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years.”
The charges were originally filed on August 14, 2023, by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who launched an investigation after a January 2021 phone call surfaced in which Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to “find” enough votes for him to win the state.
Willis was eventually removed from the case following a legal dispute over her authority, and Trump’s 2024 election victory further complicated the prosecution. Wednesday, Skandalakis issued the final order dismissing the case.
“The case is on life support and the decision what to do with it falls on me and me alone. But unlike family members who must make the emotional decision to withdraw loved ones from life-sustaining treatment, I have no emotional connection to this case,” Skandalakis wrote. He emphasized that his decision was based solely on legal judgment, not political considerations.
The case drew national attention when Trump surrendered to an Atlanta jail in August 2023 and had his mug shot taken—the first of his political career. It was considered the most likely of the various criminal cases involving Trump to reach trial because it was a state prosecution, potentially immune from presidential pardons.
Trump’s lead Georgia attorney, Steve Sadow, called the dismissal a victory, saying the “political persecution” of Trump was “finally over.” “This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare,” Sadow said.
Historic Charges and Co-Defendants
Trump and his co-defendants faced sweeping charges under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), similar to the federal statute historically used against organized crime. High-profile figures charged included former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, who recently settled a nearly $150 million defamation lawsuit with two Georgia election officials.
The indictment alleged that Trump and others “joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome” of the election. Defendants denied wrongdoing, arguing their actions were intended to address perceived irregularities in the 2020 election. Four co-defendants pleaded guilty to lesser charges, and the case also named 30 “unindicted co-conspirators.”
Case Stalled by Prosecutorial Disqualification
The case was disrupted in early 2024 when Michael Roman, a 2020 Trump campaign official, filed a motion that ultimately removed Willis due to her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she had hired. Although a Fulton County judge initially allowed Willis to continue if Wade stepped down, the case was paused in June 2024 pending review of her potential misconduct. In December 2024, the Georgia appeals court formally disqualified Willis, and the Georgia Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on her removal in September, leaving the prosecution without leadership.
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