WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2025 – A Georgia prosecutor dismissed all criminal charges against former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday related to alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election, effectively ending a high-profile racketeering case that had loomed over Trump and his political allies.

The decision by Peter Skandalakis, a state official who recently assumed control of the prosecution, marked a major setback for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who initiated the case in 2023. Willis had accused Trump and 18 co-defendants, including former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, of orchestrating a broad conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s election results following Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

Prosecutor Cites Impracticality of Proceeding

In a court filing, Skandalakis wrote that there is “no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial,” calling it “futile and unproductive” to continue pursuing the case. He emphasized that his decision was guided strictly by legal considerations, not political motivations.

A judge approved the dismissal Wednesday morning, drawing praise from Trump’s legal team. Steve Sadow, one of Trump’s attorneys, called the case “flawed from the start” and said it should never have been brought.

Context of the Georgia Case

The Fulton County investigation stemmed from a recording in which Trump allegedly urged Georgia’s top election official to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results. The case was part of a broader slate of legal challenges Trump faced after losing the 2020 election, including:

• A New York trial over hush-money payments from the 2016 campaign (Trump found guilty, has appealed).
• Other pending state and federal investigations related to post-election conduct.

Legal experts noted that Trump’s political comeback in 2025, including his return to the White House, has complicated the prospects for prosecuting him. Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University, said the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia lacked the resources to pursue such a complex case with numerous co-defendants.

Previous Controversies in the Case

In 2024, an appeals court removed DA Fani Willis from the case, citing an “appearance of impropriety” due to her relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the investigation. Skandalakis, who now heads the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, appointed himself to the case after other prosecutors declined to take it on.

The dismissal underscores how Trump’s legal challenges post-presidency—which once seemed potentially career-defining—have been dismantled or stalled, reinforcing his influence within the Republican Party.