Georgia prosecutor breathes life into Trump election interference charges

ATLANTA (CN) — A new Georgia prosecutor agreed Friday to take on the 2020 election interference case against President Donald Trump and several of his affiliates, saving the case from dismissal.

On the last day of the court-ordered deadline for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia to find a new prosecutor, its executive director, Peter Skandalakis, announced he will take on the case himself.

Skandalakis said he made the decision because he was unable to secure another conflict prosecutor to assume responsibility of the highly politicized case in time.

“Several prosecutors were contacted and, while all were respectful and professional, each declined the appointment. Out of respect for their privacy and professional discretion, I will not identify those prosecutors or disclose their reasons for declining,” Skandalakis said in a press release.

An administrative order appointing Skandalakis was filed with the Fulton County Superior Court, preventing the last standing criminal case against Trump from being thrown out by Judge Scott McAfee.

“The decision to assume responsibility for this matter was reached only after careful and deliberate consideration,” Skandalakis said. “While it would have been simple to allow Judge McAfee’s deadline to lapse or to inform the court that no conflict prosecutor could be secured — thereby allowing the case to be dismissed for want of prosecution — I did not believe that to be the right course of action.”

His appointment comes after the Georgia Court of Appeals ordered that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who launched the investigation four years ago, be removed from prosecuting the case. In September, Georgia’s Supreme Court declined to review the decision, which held the removal of Willis’ special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, was not sufficient to remedy a found “appearance of impropriety” related to the pair’s reported personal relationship.

Skandalakis said he is already familiar with portions of the case’s investigative file as he was appointed last year to review evidence Fulton prosecutors collected about Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who served as an alternate elector for Trump in 2020.

A state judge recused Willis from overseeing an investigation of Jones because she had hosted a fundraiser for attorney Charlie Bailey, Jones’ opponent for lieutenant governor in the 2022 election he won. Last year, Skandalakis announced he did not believe there was enough evidence to pursue criminal charges against Jones, who is now a Republican candidate for governor.

Three of the 19 people charged in the election interference indictment brought in August 2023 were Republican electors who cast Electoral College votes along with Jones. Former state GOP chair David Shafer, state Senator Shawn Still and former chair of the Coffee County GOP Cathy Latham have all pleaded not guilty.

With 16 remaining defendants, including the sitting president, in the sprawling racketeering indictment, Skandalakis said he has over 100 boxes of documents and a massive investigative file of evidence to review.

“Since receiving these materials, I have diligently worked to familiarize myself with the record and the status of the proceedings. Additionally, I have attempted to review the evidence gathered and the hours of interviews and proffers of witnesses and former codefendants. Unfortunately, I have not had sufficient time to complete my review,” Skandalakis said.

“With Judge McAfee’s deadline now upon us and my review still ongoing, I have determined that the best course of action is to appoint myself to the case. This will allow me to complete a comprehensive review and make an informed decision regarding how best to proceed,” he added.

As head of the nonpartisan state agency since 2017 and former district attorney of the five-county Coweta Judicial Circuit, Skandalakis has handled several high-profile cases, including the 2020 killing of Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot by Atlanta police officers Garrett Rolfe and Devon Brosnan, whom he declined to prosecute.

While Skandalakis previously vowed to find a suitable replacement prosecutor within the 14-day deadline, many offices were likely unequipped to properly take on the heavy case load, unfamiliar with Georgia’s unique and expansive RICO laws, or dissuaded out of concerns of political retribution. Willis has faced death threats and requires security due to the public backlash she has received from prosecuting the case.

The case, which accuses Trump and his affiliates of knowingly and willfully joining a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the 2020 election in his favor, has remained in limbo over the past year as the defendants have targeted Willis and the other criminal cases against Trump have been dropped since his return to the White House.

“The public has a legitimate interest in the outcome of this case. Accordingly, it is important that someone make an informed and transparent determination about how best to proceed,” Skandalakis said.

Skandalakis could ultimately recommend dismissing the charges, but under a recent state law, this would cost Fulton County millions in taxpayer funds to reimburse each of the defendants for their legal fees.

Trump’s campaign has spent roughly $2.7 million on legal fees in the case, where he is charged with racketeering and a dozen other felonies, including solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree and false statements and writings.

“My only objective is to ensure that this case is handled properly, fairly and with full transparency discharging my duties without fear, favor or affection,” Skandalakis said.

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