A Georgia prosecutor on Wednesday officially dropped the historic racketeering case against President Donald Trump and 18 others over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The move closes a legal effort once seen as a grave threat to Trump’s political future.
The federal cases against Trump on election interference and mishandling classified documents had already been dismissed.
Prosecutor Peter Skandalakis explained, “Given the complexity of the legal issues at hand… bringing this case before a jury in 2029, 2030, or even 2031 would be nothing short of a remarkable feat.” He added that pursuing the matter for another decade “would be both illogical and unduly burdensome and costly.”
Skandalakis stressed, “In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years.” He emphasized that the 2020 election results were valid, rejecting Trump’s claims of fraud.
The charges were first filed on August 14, 2023, by Fulton County DA Fani Willis, who launched the probe after Trump’s January 2021 call pressing Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes. Willis was later removed after a legal battle over her authority, and Trump’s 2024 election victory further weakened the prosecution.
Skandalakis wrote, “The case is on life support and the decision what to do with it falls on me and me alone… I have no emotional connection to this case.”
The case peaked when Trump surrendered to an Atlanta jail in August 2023, providing his first mug shot.
Trump hailed the dismissal on Truth Social, calling it an “unAmerican hoax” and vowing: “We have to hold responsible those who attempted to destroy our Legal System and Nation itself… The few remaining Democrat Witch Hunts will soon meet the same embarrassing end.”