Georgia Judge Dismisses Two Criminal Charges Against Trump, Court Filing Reveals

A Georgia judge has dismissed two criminal counts in the state’s 2020 election interference case against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, along with one count against his allies. Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee determined that state prosecutors lacked the authority to pursue these charges, which were related to the alleged submission of false documents in federal court.

The judge permitted the remaining aspects of the case to proceed, including eight charges against Trump. The former president and 14 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to racketeering and other charges tied to what prosecutors claim was an effort to overturn Trump’s narrow loss in Georgia during the 2020 election.

The proceedings have been on pause since June as a Georgia appeals court deliberates on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified due to alleged misconduct regarding a past romantic relationship with a former top deputy. Arguments are set for December, which means the case will likely not advance before the upcoming election on November 5, in which Trump will compete against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Additionally, a distinct federal case against Trump related to his efforts to overturn the national election results has also been significantly delayed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affirmed presidents’ broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Thursday’s ruling addressed allegations that Trump and his associates created a group of fraudulent presidential electors and filed a civil lawsuit that contained false claims about the election results. As a result, five of the original 13 criminal counts against Trump in the indictment from last year have now been dismissed. Earlier in March, McAfee also dismissed six other counts, three of which were against Trump.

Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, issued a statement highlighting that the ruling demonstrates that Trump and his legal team “have prevailed once again.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Willis’ office did not provide an immediate comment regarding the developments. In a separate ruling on the same day, McAfee maintained the primary charge in the case—racketeering—against all defendants.