Judge in Georgia election subversion trial dismisses three criminal counts against Donald Trump
The judge in Donald Trump’s Georgia election subversion trial has dismissed three criminal counts against the former president.
Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee also dismissed charges against three other co-defendants, while letting the overall case proceed, a court filing showed.
Judge McAffee decided that allegations made by state prosecutors that Mr Trump and his co-defendants tried to get Georgia officials to violate their oaths of office were not detailed enough in those six counts.
The judge allowed another 35 criminal counts to remain, including 10 against the former president.
The central racketeering charge against Mr Trump and his remaining 14 co-defendants also remains in place.
Mr Trump and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to charges that they formed a criminal conspiracy to try to overturn the Republican’s loss to Joe Biden in the state of Georgia during the 2020 election.
Judge McAfee said prosecutors could file a new, more detailed indictment on the dismissed counts.
The Georgia case is one of four criminal prosecutions Mr Trump is facing in the run up to November’s election, after he secured enough delegates to become the presumptive Republican candidate on Tuesday.
He also faces federal charges relating to alleged efforts to undo his 2020 defeat and is due to stand trial in New York later this month on charges related to hush money paid to an adult actress.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in all four cases and has said they are all attempts to stop him from regaining the presidency.
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Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead lawyer in the Georgia case, said prosecutors “failed to make specific allegations of any alleged wrongdoing” in the counts that were dismissed.
“The entire prosecution of President Trump is political, constitutes election interference, and should be dismissed,” Mr Sadow said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought the case, said prosecutors are
reviewing the ruling.
Lawyers for Mr Trump and his allies, including former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, challenged allegations they attempted to get Georgia politicians to violate their oaths of office by convincing them to appoint fraudulent slates of pro-Trump electors.
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Two of the six charges Judge McAfee dismissed relate to a January 2021 phone call when Mr Trump pressed Georgia’s top election official, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” votes to reverse his defeat.
The judge found that the indictment did not specify in sufficient detail how the then president and his co-defendants could have urged officials to violate their oaths of office or their duties under the constitutions of Georgia or the US.
“They do not give the defendants enough information to prepare their defences intelligently, as the defendants could have violated the constitutions and thus the statute in dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways,” he wrote in his ruling.
Judge McAfee’s ruling came as he prepares to issue a highly anticipated decision on whether Ms Willis, the prosecutor overseeing the case, should be disqualified over a romantic relationship with a lawyer she hired to run the prosecution.
Mr Trump’s team argues that Ms Willis benefited financially from the relationship and may have lied to the court, allegations Willis denies.
The King has written to former US president Joe Biden after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Buckingham Palace said
The monarch, who is undergoing his own treatment for an undisclosed cancer, hosted the 82-year-old for tea and talks at Windsor in July 2023.
Mr Biden was diagnosed on Friday, with tests revealing the cancer had spread to his bones.
The former president posted an image of himself and his wife Jill on X on Monday and wrote: “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
The King and Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in July 2023. Pic: Reuters
The King’s letter comes after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “very sorry to hear President Biden has prostate cancer”.
“All the very best to Joe, his wife Jill and their family, and wishing the President swift and successful treatment,” he added.
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump said he was “saddened” by the news, adding: “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Former US president Barack Obama said: “Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family.
“Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.”
Read more: Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
Barack Obama (right) with Joe Biden at a campaign event in 2022. File pic: Reuters
After a poor debate performance against Mr Trump and amid escalating concerns around his age and fitness to serve, Mr Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential election race and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.
Ms Harris wrote on X after his diagnosis: “We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time.
“Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
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Mr Biden’s diagnosis: What we know
Former US president Bill Clinton wrote on social media: “My friend Joe Biden’s always been a fighter. Hillary and I are rooting for him and are keeping him, Jill, and the entire family in our thoughts.”
Hillary Clinton, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016, said she was “thinking of the Bidens as they take on cancer, a disease they’ve done so much to try to spare other families from”.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson said it was “sad news” and his family “will be joining the countless others who are praying” for Mr Biden.
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Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Mr Biden as a “great American patriot” and said she was “praying for him to have strength and a swift recovery”.
Mr Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, wrote on social media that he and his wife were “united in prayer for the Biden Family during this difficult time”.
Politicians have sent messages of support to Joe Biden, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 82-year-old, who is the oldest person to ever serve as US president, was described as a “fighter” with people wishing him a “fast and full recovery”.
US President Donald Trump said he was “saddened” by the news, adding: “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Former US president Barack Obama said: “Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family.
“Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.”
Read more: Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
Barack Obama (right) with Joe Biden at a campaign event in 2022. File pic: Reuters
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “very sorry to hear President Biden has prostate cancer”.
“All the very best to Joe, his wife Jill and their family, and wishing the President swift and successful treatment,” he added.
After a poor debate performance against Mr Trump and amid escalating concerns for his health, Mr Biden withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.
Ms Harris wrote on X: “We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time.
“Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Mr Biden’s diagnosis: What we know
Former US president Bill Clinton wrote on social media: “My friend Joe Biden’s always been a fighter. Hillary and I are rooting for him and are keeping him, Jill, and the entire family in our thoughts.”
Hillary Clinton, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016, said she was “thinking of the Bidens as they take on cancer, a disease they’ve done so much to try to spare other families from”.
Speaker of the US House Of Representatives Mike Johnson said it was “sad news” and his family “will be joining the countless others who are praying” for Mr Biden.
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UK and EU sign reset deal – live updates
Gary Lineker to leave BBC next week
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Mr Biden as a “great American patriot” and said she was “praying for him to have strength and a swift recovery”.
Mr Trump’s secretary of state, Marco Rubio, wrote on social media he and his wife were “united in prayer for the Biden Family during this difficult time”.
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