A Georgia prosecutor has officially dropped the high-profile racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and several others, effectively closing a major legal effort tied to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The decision removes the immediate criminal threat to Trump over his efforts to challenge his loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia. Previously, federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith—including investigations into election interference leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the mishandling of classified documents—had also been dismissed.
In his statement, Peter Skandalakis, the prosecutor assigned to the case, cited the extraordinary legal complexity involved.
He noted that issues such as constitutional questions, the Supremacy Clause, immunity, jurisdiction, venue, speedy-trial concerns, and access to federal records would make trying the case before a jury in 2029, 2030, or even 2031 a near-impossible task.
Skandalakis also considered separating Trump from his co-defendants to try the others first while awaiting the conclusion of a potential second term. However, he concluded that such an approach “would be both illogical and unduly burdensome and costly for the State and for Fulton County.”
The racketeering charges, filed on August 14, 2023, by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, targeted Trump and 18 others for their alleged attempts to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results.
The investigation began in early 2021, following the public revelation of a phone call in which Trump reportedly pressured Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to “find” enough votes to secure a victory in the state.
About the Author
