Overview
- Peter Skandalakis, newly overseeing the case, filed to discontinue the prosecution against President Trump and multiple allies, and Judge Scott McAfee dismissed the indictment the same day.
- Skandalakis cited barriers including federal-versus-state jurisdiction, presidential-immunity questions, First Amendment concerns, limited resources, and trial timing that could stretch to 2029 or later.
- He wrote that several alleged acts—such as arranging calls, public statements, and tweets—were insufficient to sustain a racketeering case under Georgia law.
- The RICO indictment, returned in August 2023 against Trump and 18 others, saw four co-defendants accept plea deals while the rest, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, pleaded not guilty.
- The case had been weakened after Fulton County DA Fani Willis was disqualified over an improper relationship with a special prosecutor, and this dismissal closes the last major state-level prosecution tied to the 2020 election challenges.