In a significant development, Georgia prosecutor Pete Skandalakis has dismissed the Trump racketeering case, asserting that its legal foundation was fundamentally flawed from the outset. This decision came after Fani Willis, the original prosecutor, was removed from the case following allegations of personal misconduct in her hiring practices. Skandalakis noted that the case was based on biased assumptions about the motivations of the individuals involved, raising serious constitutional concerns regarding free speech.
Willis had previously been criticized for the loosely constructed theory that placed Trump at the center of an enterprise with 18 other individuals who had little to do with each other as a group, let alone in a conspiracy. The case was seen as an example of raw, open lawfare, and despite its flaws, it was widely supported by politicians and pundits. Even when she was found to have hired her former lover, Nathan Wade, as lead prosecutor, she was lionized by the left.
The grand jury report was described as a mess, with a self-proclaimed witch as foreperson, Emily Kohrs, offering spellbinding, giggling interviews touting the merits of the case. Skandal, in his criticism, pointed out that the prosecution of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others over their statements to the Georgia Legislature would have a chilling effect on witnesses and raised serious constitutional questions concerning free speech. He also criticized the charging of Mark Meadows over a call involving Trump seeking to find 11,780 votes, noting that reasonable minds could differ on its interpretation.
Meanwhile, the media’s response was mixed, with some outlets moving on to new narratives while others continued to support the prosecution. Former prosecutors like Joyce Vance and Neal Katyal praised Willis’s efforts, while Laurence Tribe supported a litany of ridiculous charges against Trump, including attempted murder. The media’s coverage has since shifted to the broader narrative of the death of democracy.
The dismissal of the Trump case means that only one of the four criminal prosecutions remains. Trump was convicted in his New York hush money case but received no jail time, with his conviction still under appeal. The Bragg case is also considered effectively over, with Trump officials citing it as a major victory. Willis, despite the misconduct and poor handling of the case, was reelected, highlighting the continued pursuit of Trump as a political credential on the left.
Some of those involved, like Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, and Scott Hall, opted for lesser charges through deals that allowed them to avoid additional costs and potential jail time. Willis’s unprofessional and unglued demeanor was largely ignored by the fawning media, which praised her for her defiance. The case’s conclusion only reaffirms that it was her interests alone that drove the prosecution from supporting her former lover with a huge salary to advance her political career.