Skandalakis to Lead Georgia Election Interference Case After Willis Disqualification
The future of the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump and others remains uncertain as a new prosecutor steps in following the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, has agreed to take on the case after multiple other prosecutors declined the appointment.
The move comes after the Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear Willis’ appeal regarding her disqualification, stemming from an “appearance of impropriety” due to a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had selected for the case. Skandalakis announced Friday that he would personally oversee the prosecution, acknowledging the difficulty in securing another prosecutor for the high-profile matter. “Several prosecutors were contacted and, while all were respectful and professional, each declined the appointment,” he stated in an emailed statement.
While legal action against Trump is unlikely to progress while he remains in office, 14 other defendants, including former New York Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, still face charges. Despite President Trump’s recent announcement of pardons for individuals involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election – including some charged in Georgia – Skandalakis has affirmed that these pardons do not impact the state-level charges.
Skandalakis inherits a substantial amount of work, with Willis’ office having delivered 101 boxes of documents on October 29th and an eight-terabyte hard drive containing the complete investigative file on November 6th. He emphasized the public’s stake in the outcome of the case, stating, “The public has a legitimate interest in the outcome of this case. Accordingly, it is important that someone make an informed and transparent determination about how best to proceed.”
He has the authority to follow Willis’ original prosecutorial strategy, narrow the scope of charges, or even dismiss the case entirely. A legal expert from Georgia State University, Anthony Michael Kreis, noted that the limited resources of the council “may lead to a simplification of the case or plea deals.”
The appointment has been met with varied reactions. Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, expressed confidence that a “fair and impartial review” would result in the case’s dismissal, calling the prosecution “politically charged.” Allyn Stockton, an attorney for Giuliani, described Skandalakis’ decision as an “interesting twist,” but voiced trust in his integrity, stating, “everything I know about Mr. Skandalakis is that he is a fair-minded and honorable man who is void of any political agenda.” Willis’ office has deferred all comment to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.
Skandalakis, who has led the nonpartisan council since 2018, will not receive additional pay for taking on the case, with Fulton County covering expenses. His prior experience includes 25 years as the elected Republican district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit. Despite the complexities, Skandalakis stated he felt compelled to act, explaining he could have allowed the deadline to pass, leading to dismissal, but determined that wasn’t “the right course of action.”
The sprawling indictment initially announced by Willis in August 2023 alleged a wide-ranging conspiracy to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to former Democratic President Joe Biden in Georgia, utilizing the state’s anti-racketeering law. The case now enters a new phase under Skandalakis’ leadership, with the outcome remaining highly uncertain.
