A judge has dismissed three additional counts in the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and his associates. However, the judge maintained the key charge of racketeering.
More than a year ago, a grand jury indicted Trump and 18 others on charges related to their efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results, with four defendants already having pleaded guilty.
The dismissed counts—14, 15, and 27—concern filing false documents with a federal court, with Trump facing two of these counts. Fulton Superior Judge Scott McAfee dropped these charges based on the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prioritizes federal law over conflicting state laws.
Earlier in March, McAfee had also dismissed six other counts, leaving 32 felony counts still in play. Trump now faces eight felony counts, reduced from the original 13.
The case is currently on hold for many defendants, including Trump, due to ongoing appeals about whether Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis can continue with the case amid misconduct allegations.
A decision on Willis’s role will be made following oral arguments by the Georgia Court of Appeals in December, with a ruling expected next year.
In related developments, Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts in New York in May, but other cases against him have stalled or been dismissed, including a federal judge in Florida dismissing the classified documents case.
Additionally, the federal election interference case has been delayed due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting broad immunity to presidents for many official acts.
