In the latest development regarding the allegations tied to former President Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, a special prosecutor will be appointed to investigate Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis initially faced a conflict of interest and was instructed not to indict Jones.
On Monday night, Willis announced a detailed 98-page indictment that charged Trump and 18 others with a conspiracy to manipulate the election results in Trump’s favor. Notable individuals included in the indictment were former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, and members of Trump’s legal team Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.
Although Jones was not specifically named in the indictment, he was among the group referred to as “fake electors.” They were accused of attempting to convene a secretive meeting at the State Capitol in December 2020 to overturn President Biden’s victory. Jones, however, denies any wrongdoing and justifies his actions as an effort to safeguard Trump’s chances if he prevailed in court.
Judge Robert McBurney of the Fulton County Superior Court ordered that Jones be removed from the investigation due to a conflict of interest, which was deemed likely to compromise any decision made about Jones’s involvement. As a result, the decision has been made to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case and determine whether charges should be filed against Jones.
Pete Skandalakis, the Executive Director of the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys Council, explained that the challenge now lies in finding a suitable special prosecutor due to limitations in resources and the relatively low compensation offered for such cases in Georgia. While the specific details of the investigation into Jones remain undisclosed, the appointment of a special prosecutor underscores the ongoing scrutiny surrounding individuals implicated in the events concerning the 2020 election in Georgia.