ATLANTA, GA – The high-profile election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants has been officially dropped by the State of Georgia.
District Attorney Pro Tempore Peter J. Skandalakis filed a motion Wednesday for a nolle prosequi — a formal dismissal — ending all remaining charges in the Fulton County case originally brought by District Attorney Fani Willis.
The filing cited “the interests of justice and judicial finality” as the basis for the decision, following months of procedural setbacks and the disqualification of Willis and her office from the case earlier this year.
The order effectively brings to a close one of the most closely watched criminal cases against the former president stemming from the 2020 election.
Case unraveled after Willis disqualification
The motion came after a two-year legal battle marked by controversy surrounding Willis’s conduct and her relationship with a special prosecutor. In December 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Willis had a “significant appearance of impropriety” and ordered her removal.
The Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal, leaving the case in limbo until Skandalakis — head of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia — was appointed as an independent special prosecutor.
Skandalakis said he conducted a full review of the evidence, court rulings, and grand jury findings before deciding to dismiss the case.
Special prosecutor cites legal and evidentiary concerns
In a detailed memorandum, Skandalakis wrote that while the indictment alleged a “compelling set of acts,” the state could not meet its burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
He emphasized that questioning or challenging election results, while politically charged, is not in itself a crime, and that portions of the case relied on weak or overlapping legal theories under Georgia’s RICO statute.
The document also noted the extraordinary length of the investigation, the loss of prosecutorial continuity, and the potential constitutional complications of continuing the case.
Trump case joins list of stalled election prosecutions
The Fulton County case was once considered one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump, who was indicted in August 2023 alongside 18 others. Multiple charges had already been dismissed before the final order was entered.
With Wednesday’s filing, the criminal case in Georgia is now formally over, and the state’s records related to the dismissed charges are subject to restriction under Georgia law.
The Fulton County election case against Donald Trump has been officially dismissed after a state-appointed prosecutor determined further prosecution was not in the public interest.
