In a significant development in Georgia's 2020 election interference case, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday dismissed two criminal charges against former U.S. President Donald Trump and one charge against his allies.
According ReutersThe judge ruled that state prosecutors lacked authority to file the charges, which related to the filing of alleged false documents in federal court.
Despite this, McAfee allowed the eight remaining charges against the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate to proceed.
Trump, along with 14 co-defendants, has pleaded not guilty to charges, including racketeering, stemming from an alleged scheme to overturn his narrow loss in Georgia during the 2020 election.
The case has been on hold since June pending a decision by a Georgia appeals court on whether the lead prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, should be disqualified for alleged misconduct tied to a romantic relationship she had with a former top deputy.
Arguments in the appeals court are scheduled for December, meaning the case will not move forward before the Nov. 5 presidential election, when Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
A separate federal case Trump faced over his efforts to overturn his election loss at the national level was also dramatically slowed by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
Thursday's decision relates to allegations that Trump and his allies assembled a list of fraudulent presidential electors and filed a civil lawsuit challenging election results that contained false claims.
The ruling means that five of the original 13 criminal charges against Trump in the indictment obtained last year have been dismissed. In March, McAfee dismissed six other charges, including three against Trump.
Trump attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement that the ruling shows Trump and his legal team “have prevailed once again.”
A spokesman for Willis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a separate decision Thursday, McAfee upheld the top charge in the case, racketeering, which has been filed against all defendants.
