A new prosecutor has been appointed to take charge of the criminal case in Georgia against President Donald Trump and his allies, replacing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This could allow the only pending criminal case against the president to move toward a trial, although how that will play out remains to be seen.
Key data
Peter Skandalakis, executive director of the Georgia State Attorney’s Council, charged with appointing a new prosecutor to oversee the case, announced Friday that he was naming himself to replace Willis.
Willis initially brought the case against Trump and his allies for attempting to overturn the 2020 election, but was recused due to her romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade, forcing a new prosecutor to be appointed so the case could move forward.
Skandalakis had until Friday to appoint a new prosecutor and claimed to have appointed himself after several other prosecutors rejected the position. In a statement, he explained that his appointment “reflects my inability to find another prosecutor with a conflict of interest to take charge of the case.”
It is now up to Skandalakis to determine how the criminal case will proceed, if it proceeds at all, or if charges should be dropped.
If the case proceeds, Trump will almost certainly not go to trial before leaving office in 2029, but lawsuits could be launched against other allies of the president facing charges in the case, such as attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Trump’s defense attorney in the case, Steve Sadow, declared this Friday that the “political persecution” against the president “must end,” adding that the president’s legal team “remains confident that a fair and impartial review will lead to the dismissal of the case against President Trump.”
Crucial ideals
“The public has a legitimate interest in this case,” Skandalakis wrote in a statement announcing his appointment Friday, noting that he did not simply want the case to be dismissed because a new prosecutor could not be found. “Therefore, it is important that someone makes an informed and transparent decision about the best way to proceed.”
Read more: Another former Trump lawyer admits guilt in Georgia election case
What to expect
As the case’s new prosecutor, Skandalakis could choose to maintain existing charges against the president and his allies, drop individual charges, add new charges or dismiss the case entirely.
The prosecutor gave no indication of how he plans to proceed, limiting himself to stating on Friday that his “sole objective is to ensure that this case is handled appropriately, fairly and with complete transparency, fulfilling my duties without fear, favoritism or bias.”
Skandalakis previously declined to prosecute Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election after he was assigned the case because Willis had a conflict of interest that prevented Jones from being prosecuted alongside Trump and his other allies.
Do Trump’s pardons affect the Georgia case?
No. Trump recently granted broad pardons to allies who helped him in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including those charged in the Georgia case. Those pardons mean Trump allies cannot be prosecuted for federal crimes, but they have no effect on state charges. Since the Georgia case has been filed in state court, that process can continue despite the pardons.
Key context
Trump’s criminal case in Georgia was initially one of four criminal cases brought against the president during his years out of office, although only one went to trial, in which Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies.
The Georgia case is the only one that remained pending after Trump’s re-election, as the two federal cases against the president were dismissed due to the Justice Department’s policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
Willis initially accused Trump and his allies in August 2023 following a years-long investigation, and in 2021 she appointed Wade — an outside attorney — to assist her in that investigation. Defendants in the case charged Willis with a conflict of interest due to her “inappropriate and clandestine personal relationship” with Wade, and also accused Wade of financing vacations he enjoyed with Willis using public funds she paid him.
Willis denied any wrongdoing in the case, and a judge initially ruled that Willis could continue to handle it as long as Wade resigned. A Georgia appeals court overturned that decision in December 2024, removing Willis from the case and leaving prosecutors in legal limbo. The Georgia Supreme Court refused to entertain Willis’ appeal of the dispute.
This article was originally published in Forbes US
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