In a notable victory for former President Donald Trump, a Georgia judge has once again dropped several charges tied to the 2020 election interference case.
On Thursday, Judge Scott McAfee dismissed three counts from the sprawling racketeering indictment brought forward by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Notably, two of these charges were directly aimed at Trump, marking a significant legal win for the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential race.
Judge McAfee granted a motion from two of Trump’s co-defendants, pro-Trump lawyer John Eastman and Georgia State Senator Shawn Still, to quash the charges.
The judge found that the allegations “lie beyond this State’s jurisdiction,” reinforcing the argument that these specific accusations fall under federal, rather than state, legal purview.
For Trump, who initially faced 13 charges, the decision reduces his total count to eight.
His legal team, led by Steve Sadow, celebrated the ruling, stating, “President Trump and his legal team in Georgia have prevailed once again.”
The ruling signals another step forward for Trump as he navigates the numerous legal challenges ahead of the 2024 election.
The dismissed charges stem from the alleged filing of false Electoral College documents, which claimed that Trump won Georgia in 2020 despite his loss.
McAfee’s ruling explained that the accusations fall under federal jurisdiction, noting that allowing the state to punish such actions would interfere with federal courts and the broader administration of justice.
While McAfee chose not to drop the racketeering charge at this time, he acknowledged that the recent Supreme Court decision expanding presidential immunity could influence the case in the future.
However, he noted that this issue has not yet been fully briefed or argued by the parties.
McAfee’s ruling comes as the prosecution itself faces challenges.
Trump and many of his co-defendants are currently appealing to have District Attorney Fani Willis removed from the case due to her past romantic relationship with a top prosecutor, who has since stepped down.
This is not the first time McAfee has thrown out charges against Trump.
Earlier, he dismissed six other charges, including three that directly implicated the former president.
One of those previously dismissed charges related to Trump’s phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where he controversially asked Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.”
Whether this momentum will carry through to the remaining charges and his broader legal challenges remains to be seen, but for now, Trump has secured another courtroom victory.
