New prosecutor named in President Trump’s Georgia indictment

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, has assigned himself to take over the historic indictment of President Donald Trump and his allies who allegedly tried to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

On Friday, Skandalakis said he has appointed himself because of “my inability to secure another conflict prosecutor to assume responsibility for this case.

“Several prosecutors were contacted and, while all were respectful and professional, each declined the appointment,” Skandalakis said. “Out of respect for their privacy and professional discretion, I will not identify those prosecutors or disclose their reasons for declining.”

The Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia took over the case’s prosecution after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified over an “appearance of impropriety” caused by a romantic relationship she had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who has been overseeing the now-stalled indictment, had given prosecutors until Nov. 14, 2025, to appoint a new prosecutor for the case.

“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,” Skandalakis said Friday morning. “This will allow me to complete a comprehensive review and make an informed decision regarding how best to proceed.

But just because Skandalakis can now prosecute, does not mean he will.

Atlanta criminal defense attorney Josh Schiffer believes this case will inevitably be dismissed.

“I personally believe this case will be dismissed sometime in the next six to 12 months after a thorough review,” said Schiffer.

Schiffer said Skandalakis will seriously weigh the cost-benefit to trying this case recognizing the difficulty in securing a conviction given the high-profile nature of the case.

“(Skandalakis) can say with an absolutely straight face, ‘there’s no way a jury convicts given what’s happened. I’m not going to spend the money regardless of how strong the case is because it’s not in the best interest of justice for us to do this,’” Schiffer said when asked about the challenges facing Skandalakis.

In a statement on Friday, Skandalakis reiterated the importance and public interest in the case.

“I am keenly aware that this matter has been of significant public interest ... My only objective is to ensure that this case is handled properly, fairly, and with full transparency discharging my duties without fear, favor, or affection.”

Later on Friday, McAfee set a Dec. 1, 2025, hearing to determine the status of Skandalakis’ investigations.

The Supreme Court of Georgia recently refused to hear Willis’ appeal to remain on the case.

“This politically charged prosecution has to come to an end,” said Steve Sadow, President Trump’s lead Georgia attorney. “We remain confident that a fair and impartial review will lead to a dismissal of the case against President Trump.”

Atlanta News First reached out to the Fulton County DA’s Office. A spokesperson did not respond on Friday.

“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 — I did not believe that to be the right course of action,” Skandalakis said. “The public has a legitimate interest in the outcome of this case. Accordingly, it is important that someone make an informed and transparent determination about how best to proceed.”

Even with Skandalakis’ appointment of himself, it is unlikely that any prosecution against Trump could move forward while he is the sitting president. But there are 14 other people still facing charges in the case, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former New York City mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

On Nov. 10, 2025, Trump pardoned the alternate electors who were allegedly involved in plans to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections, including all of the defendants charged by Willis.

Willis announced the indictment against Trump and 18 others in August 2023. She used the state’s anti-racketeering law to allege a wide-ranging conspiracy to try to illegally overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Defense attorneys sought Willis’ removal after the revelation in January 2024 that she had engaged in a romantic relationship with Wade. Attorneys said the relationship created a conflict of interest, alleging that Willis personally profited from the case when Wade used his earnings to pay for vacations the pair took.

McAfee rebuked Willis, saying in an order in March 2024 that her actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment.” But he said he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He ultimately ruled that Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, which the special prosecutor did hours later.

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Defense attorneys appealed that ruling, and the Georgia Court of Appeals removed Willis from the case in December, citing an “appearance of impropriety.” The high court has since declined to hear Willis’ appeal, putting the case in the lap of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council.

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