PHOTO: Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a hearing in the case of State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/Pool/File Photo
In 2024, Donald Trump became the first presidential candidate to win an election despite facing four criminal indictments — two federal, one in New York State (which resulted in a conviction on 34 counts), and one in Georgia.
Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results were the focus of one of former special counsel Jack Smith's federal cases as well a Georgia case prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The Georgia case was on life support after Trump won the election, but on Wednesday, November 26, the nail officially went into the case's coffin when Judge Scott McAfee dismissed all charges.
According to Politico reporters Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, "The collapse of the Georgia case against Trump ends the last remaining criminal prosecution he faced stemming from his effort to subvert the 2020 election. Special counsel Jack Smith's federal case against him was dismissed last year after Trump won reelection."
Supervising prosecutor Peter Skandalakis laid out some reasons for the Georgia case's dismissal.
Skandalakis wrote, "There is no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial on the allegations in this indictment. Donald J. Trump's current term as President of the United States of America does not expire until January 20, 2029; by that point, eight years will have elapsed" since the 2020 election."
In 2020, Trump claimed, without evidence, that the election was stolen from him in Georgia and other key swing states — a claim that was debunked by numerous vote recounts. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were among the conservative Republicans who stated emphatically that Democratic nominee Joe Biden won the Peach State fair and square.
MS Now's legal analyst Lisa Rubin weighed in on McAfee's decision during a conversation with host Chris Jansing.
Rubin noted that McAfee has "laid out various legal reasons why he doesn't think" Trump "should be pursued."
McAfee, Rubin told Jansing, pointed out "the fact that the most important figure" in the Georgia case, Trump, will presumably "be president" until January 2029. And the judge's viewpoint, Rubin said, is "let's just move on from this."
Rubin commented, "I think his calculation is likely a fair one."
McAffee's ruling is also drawing reactions on X, formerly Twitter.
MS Now legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance tweeted, "The prosecutor appointed to replace Fani Willis in Georgia moved to dismiss the election fraud conspiracy case against Trump & others. Judge McAfee just granted that motion. Case over."
Elections expert Larry Sabato wrote, " History will harshly judge the failure of our legal/political system to hold Trump accountable for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election (including his sponsorship of Jan6). So many culprits: Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, Republicans in Congress, and yes, 77 million voters."
Rahul Bali, a reporter for Atlanta's WABE News, posted, "MAJOR BREAKING NEWS: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismisses the 2020 Georgia election interference case, which includes the indictment of President Donald Trump. #gapol It comes at the request of @GAProsecutors Executive Director Peter Skandalakis."
The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Greg Bluestein wrote, "Just like that, it's over: In a brief, one-page order, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed the sprawling racketeering case first brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis more than two years ago. #gapol."