A judge has dismissed the Georgia election interference case against U.S. President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor in charge opted not to pursue the charges, marking the conclusion of the attempts to prosecute Trump for his actions to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The case was taken over by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis was removed due to concerns about a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she selected to lead the case.
Following Skandalakis’s decision, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee swiftly issued an order dismissing the case entirely.
The investigation began almost five years ago when Willis publicly announced her intention to probe potential illegal efforts to influence Georgia’s 2020 elections. This included a recorded phone call on January 2, 2021, where Trump urged Georgia’s secretary of state to help find votes to reverse his loss in the swing state.
This case was the most extensive of the four criminal cases against Trump in 2023. The complexities and resources required to pursue such a broad case made it challenging for another prosecutor to take it on after Willis’s removal.
The abandonment of the Georgia case is the latest in a series of legal challenges against Trump that have failed to significantly impact his political standing or personal freedom.
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who had accused Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results and mishandling classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, dropped both cases after Trump’s presidency began, citing a long-standing policy against indicting a sitting president.
While Trump faced felony charges in New York related to hush money payments during the 2016 election, he received an unconditional discharge in January, keeping his conviction but avoiding further penalties.
Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, Steve Sadow, welcomed the dismissal of the case, criticizing what he deemed as political persecution against Trump by Willis. Trump also responded positively to the news on social media, declaring victory for “LAW and JUSTICE” in Georgia.
Skandalakis acknowledged the gravity of the case’s events but explained his decision not to pursue the indictment, citing the need for compelling evidence to establish a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.
The case faced difficulties after Willis was disqualified due to a conflict of interest, leading to the appointment of a new prosecutor. Despite facing multiple challenges, including a voluminous case file, Skandalakis assumed the role himself to prevent the case from being dismissed outright.
The indictment against Trump and others, based on Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, alleged a broad conspiracy to overturn his loss to Joe Biden. Defence attorneys raised concerns about Willis’s relationship with the special prosecutor, leading to her removal from the case.
The judge criticized Willis for her judgment lapses but allowed her to continue if the special prosecutor resigned, which he did shortly after. Willis was eventually removed from the case due to an “appearance of impropriety” by the Georgia Court of Appeals in December 2024.
The dismissal of the Georgia case represents the latest setback in legal efforts against Trump, highlighting his ability to navigate and emerge relatively unscathed from various legal challenges.