Georgia’s Election Interference Prosecution Comes to an Official Close
The long-running criminal case involving Donald Trump and several co-defendants in Georgia came to an end on Wednesday after the state prosecutor overseeing the matter filed for dismissal. The action formally shut down the prosecution that began under former Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, who was removed from the case earlier this year. Pete Skandalakis, the prosecutor who assumed responsibility for the matter after Willis’ removal and who also serves as the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, confirmed the outcome, stating to the Guardian that “it’s over” following the one-page order signed by superior court judge Scott McAfee that dismissed the state’s 2020 racketeering charges. Skandalakis noted that he would not be offering any additional remarks on the conclusion of the case.
Reaction to the development came swiftly. Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, posted a message on X that stated, “The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over,” adding, “This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.” The criminal case originated in August 2023 when a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Trump and 18 additional individuals under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. Prosecutors alleged that those charged had taken part in a concerted effort to overturn Trump’s narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia to Joe Biden through a series of unlawful actions.
One effect of the dismissal is the end of any potential prosecution of Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in connection to the phone call in which Trump asked him to “find 11,780 votes” in an attempt to reverse the state’s election results. With the case now ended, Raffensperger and others originally included in the indictment no longer face state-level criminal exposure stemming from that alleged conduct.
At the federal level, special counsel Jack Smith had pursued charges against Trump for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results and for retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Those cases were later abandoned after Trump won the presidency last year, with Smith citing longstanding Department of Justice policy that prohibits indicting a sitting president. Smith is now the subject of a Hatch Act investigation being conducted by the Office of Special Counsel at the Justice Department.
Trump’s separate conviction in New York on felony charges related to hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign ultimately resulted in an unconditional discharge following his election, shielding him from punishment in that case. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice attempted to bring charges in Virginia against New York attorney general Letitia James for bank fraud and making false statements, as well as charges against former FBI director James Comey. A federal judge dismissed both sets of charges on Monday, ruling that the prosecutor responsible for the cases had been unlawfully appointed.
With the Georgia case being the last remaining criminal prosecution involving Trump, Willis’ disqualification by the Georgia Supreme Court effectively brought the prosecution to a halt. The court determined that Willis’ romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade produced a conflict of interest that could not be overlooked, especially after the details emerged in court filings in January 2024. The Supreme Court directed Skandalakis to appoint a new prosecutor, but the search proved unsuccessful. With the deadline set by Judge McAfee for 14 November approaching and no candidate willing to take on the case, Skandalakis ultimately appointed himself before filing for dismissal.
Although the case has now been dismissed, it had already produced four guilty pleas before unraveling. Trump, who pleaded not guilty, was shielded from state-level prosecutions while serving as president, but several other defendants still faced potential exposure before the case was dropped. Fourteen individuals remained subject to prosecution prior to the dismissal.
The conclusion of the Georgia case followed Trump’s decision to pardon 77 individuals connected to the fake electors matter, including the 18 co-defendants who had been indicted alongside him in the Georgia prosecution. None of those individuals faced federal charges, making the pardons symbolic rather than consequential. Trump did not issue a pardon for himself.
Final Thoughts on the Georgia Case Against Trump
The dismissal of the Georgia prosecution brings an end to the last outstanding criminal case involving Trump, closing a chapter that began with allegations of a coordinated effort to overturn the 2020 election in the state. With the filing by Skandalakis and the order issued by Judge McAfee, the case has formally concluded, leaving the earlier indictments, legal battles, and political disputes now resolved through the court’s termination of the charges.
