A Georgia prosecutor who recently took control of the state’s election interference case against President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has decided not to pursue the charges any further. Trump and 18 others were indicted in 2023 for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia, took over the case in October. The move came after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was removed following revelations that she was romantically involved with the special prosecutor she had appointed to lead the case.
What was the rationale?
Skandalakis said he decided to abandon the case because it would be difficult to bring it to trial.
“Given the complexity of the legal issues at hand — ranging from constitutional questions and the Supremacy Clause to immunity, jurisdiction, venue, speedy-trial concerns, and access to federal records — and 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,” Skandalakis wrote.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed the case at Skandalakis’ request.
Skandalakis said he considered making the case easier to pursue by cutting the ties of Trump’s case to the codefendants. However, he said it would be “illogical and unduly burdensome and costly for the State and for Fulton County.”
“There is no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial on the allegations in this indictment,” he said.
What did prosecutors charge Trump with?
In August 2023, Georgia prosecutors charged Trump with racketeering and other felony offenses after prosecutors said he tried to subvert the state’s 2020 presidential election results.
Willis started the investigation into Trump in early 2021 after a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During the call, Trump pressured him to “find” votes to defeat former President Joe Biden, who won the state by less than 12,000 votes.
Many legal experts believed that this case was highly likely to go to trial because a local prosecutor in Georgia was handling it. However, Trump’s 2024 presidential win jeopardized the prosecution.
How have people reacted to the decision?
Trump’s lead attorney for the case, Steve Sadow, applauded the decision, calling the case “political persecution.”
“The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over,” he said. “This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.”
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