A judge overseeing the Georgia 2020 election interference case has dismissed several charges against former President Donald Trump and his associates while upholding others in the sweeping racketeering indictment.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed six counts from the indictment, including three against Trump, the presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee. However, McAfee upheld other counts, including 10 against Trump, and indicated that prosecutors could seek a new indictment to address the dismissed charges.
This ruling represents the first time charges have been dismissed in any of Trump's four criminal cases. McAfee cited the prosecution's failure to provide adequate detail about the alleged crimes as the reason for dismissal.
The indictment accuses Trump and numerous other defendants of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), alleging a "criminal enterprise" aimed at retaining Trump in power after losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Defense attorneys, including Trump's lawyer Steve Sadow, welcomed the ruling, characterizing the prosecution as politically motivated and arguing for its dismissal.
The dismissed counts included allegations of soliciting public officers to violate their oaths, such as Trump's phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "find 11,780 votes," and soliciting then-Georgia House Speaker David Ralston to unlawfully appoint presidential electors.
McAfee determined that these counts lacked sufficient detail regarding the nature of the alleged violations, which hindered the defendants' ability to prepare their defenses.
As a result of McAfee's order, Mark Meadows faces only a RICO charge, while former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had three out of 13 counts against him dismissed. Defense attorneys for Meadows and Giuliani declined to comment on the ruling.
