Judge Dismisses Final Election Interference Case Against President Trump in Georgia

Trump and 18 co-defendants were charged with racketeering and other offenses in Georgia in 2023 relating to alleged election interference efforts.

A United States judge on Wednesday terminated the extensive case accusing Donald Trump and his associates of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, effectively eliminating the final criminal prosecution that had been lingering over the president's return to office.

The decision followed prosecutor Pete Skandalakis's strong recommendation to Judge Scott McAfee to dismiss the Georgia case, contending that it belonged under federal jurisdiction rather than in state courts. This ruling effectively closed the last remaining legal front in the comprehensive battle concerning Trump's post-election conduct.

Trump's attorney Steve Sadow issued a statement celebrating the conclusion of what he termed the president's "political persecution," further stating: "This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare."

The Republican president had faced numerous federal charges after his first presidential term, including allegations of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results and improperly retaining allegedly classified documents that should have remained at the White House.

Special Counsel Jack Smith withdrew both federal cases following Trump's recent election victory, citing the Justice Department's established policy against indicting or prosecuting a sitting president.

"Indeed, if Special Counsel Jack Smith, with all the resources of the federal government at his disposal... concluded that prosecution would be fruitless, then I too find that, despite the available evidence, pursuing the prosecution of all those involved in State of Georgia v. Donald Trump, et al. on essentially federal grounds would be equally unproductive," Skandalakis stated in his filing.

He further emphasized that prosecuting a sitting president in Georgia is virtually impossible, and proceeding with the trial without Trump would be impractical for the remaining 14 defendants.

Judge McAfee promptly granted the motion to dismiss the entire case.

Trump and his 18 co-defendants were originally charged in Georgia in 2023 with racketeering and additional offenses related to their alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in the southern state.

The indictment detailed alleged attempts to persuade state officials to "find" votes to reverse Trump's narrow loss to Joe Biden, pressure election workers, and install false Trump electors.

Four of those indicted subsequently pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

A Georgia appeals court in December disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case due to a romantic relationship she had with the man she appointed as special prosecutor.

Trump has granted pardons to several allies accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election, though these pardons apply exclusively to federal crimes, not state offenses such as those brought in Georgia.

Among those receiving presidential clemency were former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, both of whom faced charges in the Georgia case.

Skandalakis argued that continuing the Georgia case "in full for another five to ten years" would not serve the state's voters, explaining that the expected timeline, combined with unresolved legal questions regarding federal versus state jurisdiction and presidential immunity, meant the case was effectively "on life support."

"As a former elected official who ran as both a Democrat and a Republican... this decision is not guided by a desire to advance an agenda but is based on my beliefs and understanding of the law," he stated.

Willis was removed from overseeing the case after Georgia's appeals court determined her romantic involvement with special prosecutor Nathan Wade had created an "appearance of impropriety."

She had originally indicted Trump in August 2023, charging him and his co-defendants under Georgia's racketeering laws.

Throughout the proceedings, Trump's legal team maintained that his statements about the election constituted protected political speech under the First Amendment.