Georgia judge dismisses 2 criminal counts against Trump in election interference case
The remainder of the case can move forward, including 8 charges against the former US president
A Georgia judge on Thursday dismissed two criminal counts in the US state’s 2020 election interference case against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and one other count against allies of the former US president.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee found that state prosecutors did not have the authority to bring those charges, which related to the alleged filing of false documents in federal court.
McAfee allowed the remainder of the case to move forward, including eight charges against Trump. Trump and 14 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to racketeering and other charges stemming from what prosecutors allege was a scheme to overturn Trump’s narrow defeat in Georgia in the 2020 election.
The case has been on hold since June while a Georgia appeal court considers whether the lead prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, must be disqualified over alleged misconduct tied to a romantic relationship she had with a former top deputy.
Arguments in the appeal court are scheduled for December, meaning the case will not progress before the November 5 election when Trump faces Democratic US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
A separate federal case Trump faced for his efforts to overturn his election defeat nationally has also been slowed dramatically by a US Supreme Court ruling that found that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
