New prosecutor drops charges against Trump, others in Georgia election interference case

ATLANTA (ANF/Gray News) — The special prosecutor who took over President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia has decided not to pursue the case any further.

Pete Skandalakis, executive director of The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, filed a motion Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court requesting the charges brought against Trump and his GOP allies be dropped.

Shortly after Skandalakis’ motion was filed, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the case, granted the motion, dismissing the case in its entirety.

Skandalakis took over the case’s prosecution last month after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified over an “appearance of impropriety” caused by a romantic relationship she had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

“The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over,” said Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead Georgia attorney. “This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.”

Willis had brought the indictments against Trump and 18 GOP allies, whom she charged with attempting to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

Willis was attempting to use Georgia’s anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy among Trump, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and more to try to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Biden.

But in January 2024, defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who represented co-defendant Mike Roman, sought Willis’ removal after the revelation that she had engaged in a romantic relationship with Wade. Attorneys said the relationship created a conflict of interest, alleging that Willis personally profited from the case when Wade used his earnings to pay for vacations the pair took.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee rebuked Willis, saying in a March 2024 order that her actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment.” But he said he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He ultimately ruled that Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, which the special prosecutor did hours later.

Defense attorneys appealed that ruling, and the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the case in December, citing an “appearance of impropriety.” The high court has since declined to hear Willis’ appeal, putting the case in the lap of Skandalakis and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.

McAfee gave Skanadalakis a deadline of Nov. 14 to appoint a new prosecutor for the case. However, Skandalakis said all the prosecutors he had reached out to had declined.

Skandalakis said he appointed himself instead of allowing the case to be dismissed because of “my inability to secure another conflict prosecutor to assume responsibility for this case.”

On Nov. 10, 2025, Trump himself granted a federal pardon to the alternate electors who were allegedly involved in plans to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including all of the defendants charged by Willis.

McAfee had already dismissed several charges issued by Willis related to the filing of false documents.