Georgia election interference case against Trump dismissed
Trump election interference case dismissed
Georgia filed Wednesday morning to officially dropped its election case against Donald Trump. Prosecutor says evidence, legal barriers and delays made trial impossible. Some allegations didn’t meet Georgia’s legal requirements or belonged in federal court, according to motion.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia’s election interference case against President Donald Trump is now officially over.
A motion was filed Wednesday morning with the Fulton County Superior Court and Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee signed off on it shortly after.
PREVIOUS: Trump election interference case: Prosecutor appoints self
What we know:
Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys' Council Director Peter Skandalakis, who appointed himself as prosecutor in Georgia's election interference case, said in the court filing that continuing the prosecution would not "serve the interests of justice." He explained that the case had been delayed for years, involved actions that happened outside Georgia, and included issues that the state courts could not resolve — including questions about presidential immunity.
Skandalakis said he considered splitting Trump’s case from the others and moving forward with the remaining defendants while waiting for Trump’s second term to end. But he ultimately rejected that idea, saying it "would be both illogical and unduly burdensome and costly for the state and for Fulton County."
The filing outlined key events from the aftermath of the 2020 election, including the Dec. 14, 2020 meeting of Democratic and Republican electors and Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021 phone call urging Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes."
Skandalakis wrote that many of the alleged actions — including arranging phone calls, tweeting about legislative hearings, sending text messages, or participating in lengthy calls — were not sufficient to sustain a RICO case.
The filing also notes that several parts of the case lacked enough evidence to go to trial, while others belonged in federal court rather than Georgia state court. Skandalakis said the alleged conduct stretched across multiple states and could not realistically be tried before Trump’s current presidential term ends in 2029.
The prosecutor emphasized that his decision was based on the law and the evidence — not on politics. Skandalakis acknowledged his decision would draw criticism but warned that threats or violence against him or his family would not be tolerated. He also said he would not be granting any interviews today about the motion.
The backstory:
The Georgia election interference case began in August 2023, when a Fulton County grand jury indicted then-former President Donald Trump and 18 others.
Prosecutors accused the group of taking part in a wide-reaching effort to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. The charges included racketeering — typically used for organized crime — and a long list of related felony counts tied to pressure campaigns on state officials, the creation of a slate of "alternate electors," and access to voting equipment in a rural Georgia county.
The case immediately became one of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions in the country. Several defendants – Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Scott Hall and Jenna Ellis – took plea deals in the fall of 2023, agreeing to testify if the case ever went to trial.
But the prosecution slowed dramatically in 2024 and 2025 after defense attorneys challenged District Attorney Fani Willis’ involvement, ultimately leading to her removal from the case. Delays continued as the courts weighed issues involving presidential immunity, which affected whether certain acts could legally be prosecuted.
Skandalakis began searching for another prosecutor after the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case over conflicts of interest involving her former special prosecutor, Nathan Wade.
Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy
That decision left the state’s racketeering indictment — accusing Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and others of conspiring to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results — in limbo.
Former election interference defendants can request legal fee reimbursement
Georgia filed Wednesday morning to officially dropped its election case against Donald Trump. Prosecutor says evidence, legal barriers and delays made trial impossible. Some allegations didn’t meet Georgia’s legal requirements or belonged in federal court, according to motion. All defendants in the case can now ask the judge to have Fulton County reimburse them for legal fees since there was prosecutorial misconduct.
Dig deeper:
The case was also dismissed against Trump's allies, including Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, Ray Smith, Robert Cheeley, Michael Roman, David Shafer, Shawn Still, Stephen Lee, Harrison Floyd, Tevian Kutti, Cathleen Latham, and Misty Hampton.
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President Trump responds
What they're saying:
President Trump's lead Georgia defense counsel, Steve Sadow, sent the following statement:
This politically charged prosecution has to come to an end. We remain confident that a fair and impartial review will lead to a dismissal of the case against President Trump.
The President responded later in the day on his Truth Social, saying, "LAW and JUSTICE have prevailed in the Great State of Georgia, as the corrupt Fani Willis Witch Hunt against me, and other Great American Patriots, has been DISMISSED in its entirety."
Other statements
What they're saying:
The following statement was sent on behalf of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani:
"The decision to dismiss all criminal charges against Mayor Rudy Giuliani is long overdue and represents a complete repudiation of the demonstrably false claims that partisan actors used to justify his improper disbarment. The integrity of our justice system cannot be fully restored until Mayor Giuliani’s law license is reinstated and the hundreds of other victims of political weaponization against President Trump and his supporters receive the justice they deserve." - Ted Goodman with Mayor Rudy Giuliani
The following statement was sent on behalf of David J. Shafer, former Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party:
"On behalf of David Shafer and his legal team, we thank Pete Skandalakis and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia for the decision to file a Nolle Prosequi (Nol Pros) dismissing all charges brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. We appreciate Mr. Skandalakis’ objectivity and professionalism in evaluating the charges against Mr. Shafer and his decision to dismiss all the charges against him. This nearly four-year nightmare is finally over. Mr. Shafer is completely innocent, and we were always confident that an objective review of the facts and law by a competent and objective prosecutor would lead to his complete vindication." -Craig Gillen, who represented Shafer.
FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for a statement and is reaching out to others involved for their statements.
Democrats respond
The other side:
Charlie Bailey, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, responded to the dismissal in a statement. It reads:
"The dismissal of this case is a travesty and a slap in the face to Georgia voters. Donald Trump and eighteen others, including sitting State Senator Shawn Still, were indicted by a grand jury for attempting to illegally overturn our state's election. Multiple of their co-defendants pled guilty. This misguided decision denies the people of Georgia the accountability they deserve for Trump and his cronies' attempt to subvert their votes and silence their voices."
What's next:
All defendants in the case can now ask the judge to have Fulton County reimburse them for legal fees since there was prosecutorial misconduct. The fees must be submitted to the judge within 45 days of the case being dismissed.