A Georgia judge on Wednesday dismissed the state’s election interference case against President Donald Trump and others after the newly appointed prosecutor said he would not pursue the charges.
According to The Associated Press, Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, took over the sprawling case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Willis was removed following concerns over an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had appointed to lead the case.
Following Skandalakis’ filing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a brief order dismissing the case in its entirety.
“The criminal conduct alleged in the Georgia indictment was conceived in Washington, D.C., not the State of Georgia. The federal government is the appropriate venue for this prosecution, not the State of Georgia,” Skandalakis wrote in his court filing.
Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, Steve Sadow, praised the dismissal, calling it an end to what he described as “political persecution.”
“The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought,” Sadow said.
The dismissal marks the latest instance in which Trump has emerged largely unscathed from legal challenges that once threatened his political career.
He had previously faced prosecutions over classified documents, election interference, and hush money payments, but convictions and charges either did not result in punishment or were halted due to longstanding Justice Department policy regarding indicting a sitting president.
The Georgia case originally included 14 other defendants, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Willis had filed the indictment in August 2023, alleging a conspiracy to overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Joe Biden in Georgia under the state’s anti-racketeering law.
Defense attorneys had sought Willis’ removal after revelations of her relationship with the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, who had used earnings from the case to fund vacations with Willis.
The Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis in December 2024, citing an appearance of impropriety. The state Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal.
Skandalakis, who has led the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council since 2018, said he chose to take the case himself after other prosecutors declined. He noted that he would receive no extra pay for the work, with Fulton County covering only expenses.
“This case should never have moved forward under these circumstances,” Skandalakis concluded, effectively ending the high-profile legal challenge.
