Peter J. Skandalakis, the Executive Director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, announced that he would pursue the prosecution of President Donald Trump and others for interference in the 2020 election, rather than dropping the case altogether.
On Oct. 8, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ordered Skandalakis to appoint a new prosecutor to replace Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis or to have the case dismissed.
Skandalakis said he was taking over the case after several other prosecutors declined.
"While it would have been simple to allow Judge McAfee's deadline to lapse or to inform the Court that no conflict prosecutor could be secured— thereby allowing the case to be dismissed for want of prosecution—| did not believe that to be the right course of action," Skandalakis said in a statement on Friday. "The public has a legitimate interest in the outcome of this case."
Skandalakis said he was in the process of reviewing 101 boxes of evidence and an 8-terabyte hard drive containing the complete investigative file.
"With Judge McAfee's deadline now upon us and my review still ongoing, I have determined that the best course of action is to appoint myself to the case. This will allow me to complete a comprehensive review and make an informed decision regarding how best to proceed," he noted.
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others in 2023 for a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Four of the alleged co-conspirators pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against Trump following the indictment.
The Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from prosecuting the case due to a "significant appearance of impropriety" caused by a romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade.
