Georgia
BREAKING: Prosecutor won't charge Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in 2020 election case
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will not face criminal charges for his actions in the weeks after the 2020 election, including signing onto a slate of electors for former President Donald Trump after Joe Biden won Georgia’s electoral votes.
Three other so-called “fake electors” were indicted last August by a grand jury in Fulton County on criminal charges including racketeering. All three have pleaded not guilty.
Early in the investigation, a judge barred District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from continuing to investigate or prosecute Jones after she held a fundraiser for his opponent in the race for lieutenant governor. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, ultimately took over the investigation into Jones, and on Friday decided against charges.
“I find Senator Jones’ involvement and actions during the times in question to be within the scope of his duties as a Senator to address the concerns of constituents and that his participation in voting as an alternate elector on Dec. 14, 2020 was a result of relying upon the advice of attorneys and legal scholars,” Skandalakis wrote. “Therefore, this case does not warrant further investigation or further actions, and I consider the matter closed.”
Four defendants have pleaded guilty in the Fulton County prosecution. A judge has quashed some of the charges, but 32 counts remain, including the bedrock racketeering charge. The case is mostly paused as an appeals court weighs whether Willis can remain on the case following misconduct allegations. Oral arguments are scheduled before a three-judge panel in December, with a decision not expected until next year.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Georgia
5 things to watch for in Georgia politics this year
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is his second and final term of office. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Marjorie Taylor Greene stokes feud with Donald Trump as she exits Congress.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens will be sworn in today for a second term.
- Dana Barrett is expected to run for secretary of state as a Democrat.
Looking ahead
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Things to know
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- A yearslong challenge to Georgia’s anti-abortion law and a case blaming Snapchat for a teenager’s reckless driving are among the cases to watch in state courts this year, the AJC’s Rosie Manins reports.
- Garland Favorito believes the U.S. government covered up the truth about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Now, he’s become a leader among conservatives who say Georgia’s 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
- A shadowy group has paid roughly $8 million for ads criticizing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ campaign for governor. Now, Jones is urging the Federal Communications Commission to step in, Greg Bluestein reports.
Last day

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is stepping down from Congress today.
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Dickens’ second term
Andre Dickens was first sworn in as mayor of Atlanta during an inauguration ceremony at Georgia Tech in 2022.
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Ossoff’s strategy
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff held a rally in Savannah last July.
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Campaign watch

Democrat Dana Barrett is a Fulton County commissioner.
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Listen up
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Today in Washington

President Donald Trump waved after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. He was returning from a holiday break in Florida.
:sgnineppaH
- President Donald Trump participates in a policy meeting at the White House.
- The full House is out for one more day.
- The House Ethics Committee is expected to announce an update on a complaint involving U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, and his top aide, Brandon Phillips. The committee disclosed in November that the complaint had been referred to its members on Oct. 7 and set a deadline for today to announce its course of action. The complaint wasn’t made public, and Collins’ office has called it a “desperate and baseless attack” by the U.S. Senate candidate’s political opponents.
- The Senate return for evening votes.
Shoutouts
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- Rebecca Yardley, executive director of America First Georgia (was Tuesday).
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Before you go

Georgia author Allen Levi tells the story of a man named Theo who transforms lives with small acts of kindness.
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Georgia
Georgia lands first transfer portal commitment in Clemson transfer Khalil Barnes
ATHENS — From a statistical standpoint, the two things Georgia did best were convert on fourth down and score touchdowns in the redzone. Entering the Ole Miss game, the …
Connor Riley
Georgia
Sources: Georgia State landing new defensive coordinator from ACC champs
Dell McGee’s defensive staff overhaul as he enters Year 3 atop the Georgia State program is getting its most significant piece of the puzzle, FootballScoop has learned.
McGee is hiring Cam Clark, a senior analyst on Duke coach Manny Diaz’s 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions staff, to run the Georgia State defense, sources tell FootballScoop.
It’s a notable hire for McGee, who is seeking to turn around Georgia State after going just 4-20 in his first two seasons at the helm.
While Clark arrives at Georgia State after assisting the Duke Blue Devils offense, his background is in defensive coaching.
He served two years as defensive coordinator at Football Championship Subdivision program Western Illinois, and he also ran the defense at Lamar University. Additionally, Clark was defensive coordinator at Georgia prep powerhouse Thomas County Central High School.
A former star player at Harding University, Clark obtained his master’s degree from Auburn University, where he served as a graduate assistant.
He has additional Football Bowls Subdivision experience from coaching under both Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn while serving on their respective staffs at Arkansas State.
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