MORE TIME. The head of the state agency assigned with picking a new prosecutor for the Fulton County election interference case is asking for more time to make a decision.
Peter Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee for at least 90 days to decide. McAfee had said he would dismiss the case entirely if the council doesn’t name a new prosecutor within two weeks.
Skandalakis said he still hasn’t received the case file from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was recently stripped of the high-profile prosecution by a panel of state judges because of a conflict of interest.
Without that file, Skandalakis said in a court filing that he “cannot intelligently answer questions of anyone requested to take the appointment or to do his own diligence in finding a prosecutor who is not encumbered by a significant appearance of impropriety.”
As our colleague Tamar Hallerman reported last month, Skandalakis likely won’t find many takers as he searches for a new prosecutor to replace Willis. The case involves more than a dozen defendants, including President Donald Trump. Among the complicating factors: political risks, safety concerns, a roster of 15 high-profile defendants, a host of complex legal issues and no additional budget.
Skandalakis, a veteran Republican prosecutor highly respected by attorneys across the political spectrum, could pick a DA from anywhere in the state, a staff attorney from his organization or even an outside attorney to oversee the case. Or he could name himself to the role, as many close allies expect he will do.
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