In Donald Trump‘s Georgia election subversion trial, three criminal counts against him and three against co-defendants were dismissed by Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, while allowing the overall case to proceed.
Judge McAfee ruled that state prosecutors’ allegations lacked sufficient detail to sustain those six counts, leaving 35 other criminal counts, including a central racketeering charge, intact.
Trump and his co-defendants face charges of forming a criminal conspiracy to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia. McAfee suggested that prosecutors could seek a new, more detailed indictment for the dismissed counts.
This trial is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces as he runs against Biden, including federal charges for attempting to reverse his election defeat and New York charges related to hush money paid to a porn star. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in these cases, labeling them as attempts to hinder his bid to reclaim the presidency.
Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead lawyer in the Georgia case, criticized prosecutors for failing to provide specific allegations of wrongdoing in the dismissed counts, describing the entire prosecution as political interference.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis‘ office, which brought the case, declined to comment on the ruling. Trump’s legal team, along with allies such as Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, challenged allegations that they persuaded Georgia lawmakers to violate their oaths of office.
Judge McAfee dismissed two charges related to a January 2021 phone call where Trump urged Georgia officials to “find” votes. McAfee found the indictment lacked sufficient detail to demonstrate how Trump and his co-defendants could have influenced officials to violate their oaths or duties.
The ruling coincides with McAfee’s deliberation on whether Willis should be disqualified over a romantic relationship with a lawyer involved in the case. Trump’s legal team contends that Willis may have benefited financially from the relationship and potentially misled the court, allegations Willis denies.
