A Fulton County judge on Wednesday dismissed several counts from the election interference indictment against former President Donald Trump and several co-defendants, marking a victory for the defendants.
Judge Scott McAfee’s order quashed six counts related to the charge of Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer. Of the original 13 counts Trump faced, the judge’s ruling reduced the charges to 10.
The judge concurred with the defendants’ argument that the dismissed counts were legally deficient, stating they lacked sufficient detail regarding the nature of the alleged offenses. McAfee wrote that the lack of specific allegations impeded the defendants’ ability to prepare their defense effectively.
The motions to dismiss, known as demurrers, were filed by Trump, his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, election lawyer John Eastman, and others.
Giuliani had three counts dropped, including two solicitation counts and one count of false statements and writings, stemming from public appearances in December 2020 where he made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in Georgia.
Meadows saw one count quashed, leaving him facing a single racketeering or RICO count. Eastman had one count dropped, while Georgia lawyers Ray Smith III and Robert Cheeley each had one count dismissed.
Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, hailed the judge’s decision as a correct application of the law, emphasizing the prosecution’s failure to specify alleged wrongdoing in the dismissed counts.
Don Samuel, representing Smith, expressed satisfaction with the ruling, viewing it as a step toward exoneration for his client.
Last August, Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty to charges in a racketeering indictment related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Several defendants, including Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, accepted plea deals in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors.
Trump has criticized the investigation as politically motivated.
