A new prosecutor was appointed Friday in the southeastern US state of Georgia to lead the case against President Donald Trump and 14 others accused of trying to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
- read more: What we know about Operation Spear of the South amid President Trump’s offensive in the Caribbean
- Epstein case: After emails were released, President Trump criticized Democrats and called for a federal investigation into Clinton.
While it seems unlikely that a trial against Trump will take place while he is president, the same cannot be said for his co-defendants, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Last week, the Republican president pardoned 77 people involved in the case, including Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Meadows. However, these pardons only apply to federal cases.
In December 2024, after Trump was elected, a Georgia court ordered prosecutor Fani Willis fired due to her romantic relationship with the investigator hired on the case.
The Georgia Attorney General’s Office has until Friday to appoint a new prosecutor or the case will be dismissed. Attorney Peter Skandalakis announced in a statement that he was assigned to take on the case after applying after several colleagues declined his offer.
—My sole purpose is to ensure that this case is handled properly, fairly and with full transparency, he said.
Two federal lawsuits against Trump — one for unlawful attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and one for withholding classified documents after leaving the White House — were dropped after the November 2024 presidential election, in line with the Justice Department’s policy not to indict or prosecute sitting presidents.
Meanwhile, Trump was convicted of a crime in New York for making secret payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, but was given a suspended sentence in January, 10 days before his inauguration.
About The Author
