Georgia Judge Throws Out Two More Election Interference Charges Against Trump in Latest Blow to Fani Willis
In the latest blow to embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the judge overseeing her sprawling racketeering case against President Trump and several of his associates has thrown out two more charges against the former president, as well as an additional charge that had been levied against some of his co-defendants. The 45th president now faces eight charges instead of the original 13.
Although the case will still proceed, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s dismissal is a blow to Ms. Willis, who initially brought a total of 41 counts against Trump and his allies, accusing them of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In March, Judge McAfee quashed six charges in the case — three of them solely against Trump, as the Sun reported.
The charges that Judge McAfee dismissed on Thursdays – filing false documents, attempting to file false documents, and criminally conspiring to file false documents – should fall under federal jurisdiction, he ruled. That meant that under the Constitution’s supremacy clause, Ms. Willis did not have jurisdiction to prosecute those alleged offenses.
“Because Counts 14, 15, and 27 lie beyond this State’s jurisdiction and must be quashed, the Defendants’ motions to dismiss the indictment under the Supremacy Clause are granted in part,” Judge McAfee wrote.
Trump’s lead counsel in the Fulton County case, Steve Sadow, said the dismissals are another win for the president.
“President Trump and his legal team in Georgia have prevailed once again,” he wrote in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The trial court has decided that counts 15 and 27 in the indictment must be quashed/dismissed.”
Although the case will still proceed, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s dismissal is a blow to Ms. Willis, who initially brought a total of 41 counts against Trump and his allies, accusing them of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In March, Judge McAfee quashed six charges in the case — three of them solely against Trump, as the Sun reported.
The charges that Judge McAfee dismissed on Thursdays – filing false documents, attempting to file false documents, and criminally conspiring to file false documents – should fall under federal jurisdiction, he ruled. That meant that under the Constitution’s supremacy clause, Ms. Willis did not have jurisdiction to prosecute those alleged offenses.
“Because Counts 14, 15, and 27 lie beyond this State’s jurisdiction and must be quashed, the Defendants’ motions to dismiss the indictment under the Supremacy Clause are granted in part,” Judge McAfee wrote.
Trump’s lead counsel in the Fulton County case, Steve Sadow, said the dismissals are another win for the president.
“President Trump and his legal team in Georgia have prevailed once again,” he wrote in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The trial court has decided that counts 15 and 27 in the indictment must be quashed/dismissed.”