Georgia Election Case โคGets โฃNew Prosecutor as DA Faces Disqualification
ATLANTA, GA – Aโข new prosecutor has been appointed to โขoversee the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald trump and 14 co-defendants, following the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. โPeter โขskandalakis, โฃexecutive โขdirector of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, has appointed himself to the case, stating heโ needed to โข”proceed” with aโข full assessment.
The move comes afterโค scrutiny surroundingโ Willis’ relationship with โขspecial prosecutor Nathan Wade, which led to โฃallegationsโ of improper โconduct. While a judge did not disqualify Willis outright, she โขwas directed to โremove โขWade from the case, prompting Skandalakis’ decision to take directโข control.
Skandalakisโ emphasizedโฃ he โคhas not yet completed his โreview of the case, citing the substantial volume of evidence: “101 boxes ofโ documents and an 8-terabyte hard drive” received from Willis’โข office. “By taking on the โcase, I can finish assessing โit and decide what to doโ next,” he said.
The โcase centers around โขallegationsโ that Trump and his allies attempted toโค overturn the results of theโข 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Fourteen co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and formerโข White House Chief of โฃStaff Markโฃ Meadows, remain charged, despite Trumpโ recently issuing pardons to individuals involved in related federal effortsโ – pardons which do not affect state-level charges.
Trump’s attorney, Steveโ Sadow, released a statement: “This โคpolitically chargedโ prosecution has to come to an end. We remain โconfident that a fair โand impartial review willโ lead to โa dismissal of the caseโค against President Trump.”โ
Allyn Stockton, attorney for Giuliani, described Skandalakis’โ self-appointment as an “fascinating twist,” but added, โ”Everything I know about โMr.Skandalakisโ is โขthat he is a fair mindedโ and honorable man who isโ void of any โขpolitical agenda.”
Skandalakis is โฃfamiliar with aspects of the Trump election controversy, havingโ previously investigated Georgiaโค Lt. Gov. Burtโ Jones, who acted as โคa “fake elector” for Trump. Heโ ultimately declined โขto pursue charges against โคjones, citing a lack of criminal intent.
Legal โexperts suggest that prosecution of Trump himself is unlikelyโฃ while he remains President.Georgia State university law professor Anthony โฃMichael Kreis noted โขthe Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council’s limited resources, โsuggesting the case “mayโ lead to a simplification of โthe case or โplea dealsโค forโค the other defendants.”
Skandalakis has led the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council as 2018 and previously served as an โelected Republican district attorney forโฃ the Coweta Judicial Circuit for 25 โขyears.โฃ He will not โขreceive additionalโ pay for taking on โthe case,โฃ with Fulton County coveringโ expenses.