New Prosecutor Takes Over Georgia RICO Case Against Donald Trump

Written By Lexx Thornton

The sprawling 2023 racketeering indictment case in Georgia against President Donald Trump and several allies, which alleges a conspiracy to unlawfully overturn the 2020 election results, is set to continue under the supervision of a new lead prosecutor. 

The transition follows a high-stakes legal fight that resulted in the removal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the prosecution team. 

Peter Skandalakis, the Director of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia (PAC), formally confirmed his assignment to the case on Friday morning. In a brief statement, Skandalakis announced, “An Administrative Order appointing me to the case of State of Georgia v. Donald J. Trump, et al. was filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court of Fulton County.” 

Skandalakis was assigned the complex matter in September. The PAC is a bipartisan body composed of district attorneys and solicitors general from across the state, giving Skandalakis significant authority and a non-county-specific mandate. He had previously stated he was prepared to take the case on himself if he could not find another prosecutor willing to accept the role. 

The need for a replacement prosecutor arose after a protracted legal battle centered on the authority of Willis, who had initially launched the investigation and secured the indictment. Her removal necessitated the appointment of a new attorney to oversee the remainder of the case. 

The assignment to Skandalakis ensures that the historic and complex prosecution, which utilizes the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, will proceed toward trial. The indictment accuses Trump and numerous co-defendants of engaging in a coordinated criminal enterprise to interfere with the lawful administration of the 2020 election in Georgia. 

This appointment maintains the continuity of the state’s efforts to hold those involved accountable for alleged election interference. The path forward remains complex, but with the assignment now formalized, the legal proceedings in Fulton County are set to move forward under new leadership.