Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger testifies in 2022 before a U.S. House of Representatives committee on the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol. On Wednesday, a Georgia prosecutor dropped all charges against President Donald Trump and others accused of election interference based on a call that Trump made to Raffensperger. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 26 (UPI) — The prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump dropped the charges on Wednesday.

Pete Skandalakis, executive director of Georgia’s Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, who took over the case when Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis was disqualified, filed a motion Wednesday saying that he’s dropping the case “to serve the interests of justice and promote judicial finality”

“[The case] is on life support and the decision what to do with it falls on me and me alone. But unlike family members who must make the emotional decision to withdraw loved ones from life-sustaining treatment, I have no emotional connection to this case. As a former elected official who ran as both a Democrat and a Republican and now is the Executive Director of a non-partisan agency, this decision is not guided by a desire to advance an agenda but is based on my beliefs and understanding of the law,” he wrote.

Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to a racketeering indictment in their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Willis brought the charges after a phone call from Trump to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” the votes needed to give the state’s electoral votes to Trump.

Skandalakis addressed the call to Raffensperger in his motion.

“While the call is concerning, reasonable minds could differ as to how to interpret the call. One interpretation is that President Donald J. Trump, without explicitly stating it, is instructing the Secretary of State to fictitiously or fraudulently produce enough votes to secure a victory in Georgia. An alternative interpretation is that President Donald J. Trump, genuinely believing fraud had occurred, is asking the Secretary of State to investigate and determine whether sufficient irregularities exist to change the election outcome. When multiple interpretations are equally plausible, the accused is entitled to the benefit of the doubt and should not be presumed to have acted criminally.”

Willis was eventually disqualified because of a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor on the case. After she was disqualified, Skandalakis was tasked with finding another prosecutor to handle the case. When none was found, on Nov. 14 he took on the case himself.

Some defendants in the case — Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall — took plea deals after agreeing to testify. Trump later gave them all federal pardons.

Georgia Tech is facing its bitter rival on Friday afternoon on national television. It is a chance to show the country, despite two losses in the past three games, that the Yellow Jackets are a top team. Georgia Tech lost to NC State and Pittsburgh and is looking to close its season strong. They are 9-2 and have a chance to pick up a quality win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Georgia comes in at 10-1 on the season and has won seven consecutive games. The Bulldogs are in contention for a SEC Championship game spot and are the No. 4-ranked team in the country. The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 30 in total offense, averaging 430.3 yards per game. It will be a challenge for Georgia Tech to slow them down and try to come out with a win. 

The Yellow Jackets are a big underdog in their matchup against the Bulldogs on Friday. According to ESPN’s FPI, Georgia Tech is only given a 13% chance to win, and the Bulldogs are given an 87% chance to win. 

Georgia Tech fell to Georgia last year in one of the best games in series’ history in 2024. Georgia held on to win 44-42 in an eight overtime game. It was the game where Haynes King captivated the country with his play and valiant effort. King finished with 303 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He carved the Bulldogs defense on the ground with 110 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Head coach Brent Key talked about if the team has more motivation heading into the matchup after last year’s result.

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“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s more motivation. I do not get into the motivating part of it. I get into playing the game for the right reasons. And then the 30 football team won’t even here. So years don’t carry over to each other. They’re completely week to week. It’s different. Look, I mean, all that matters is this week right now. Everything that’s happened in the past, everything that happens future next week. None of that stuff matters this week. Not one bit of it. Records, you know, wins, losses of late. I mean, no of that does. That’s what I told the team today.”

Despite the ACC Championship being a long shot, Georgia Tech can do a lot for moxie and continue to build its program. With a win, the Yellow Jackets will clinch their fifth ten-win regular season in program history and first win over Georgia since 2016. It’s a lot on the line for Georgia Tech on Friday afternoon.

•Georgia Tech Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup With No. 4 Georgia

•Three Storylines To Watch On Friday As Georgia Tech Takes On Georgia

•Everything From Brent Key Ahead of Friday’s Game vs Georgia

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•Georgia Tech Defensive Back Jy Gilmore Is Out For The Rest Of The Season

ATLANTA – Georgia Power wants to add more energy to the grid — but analysts with the state agency that regulates utility rates say that could mean higher monthly bills for customers.

What we know:

Right now, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is considering Georgia Power’s request to add 10 gigawatts of energy capacity. The company says the expansion is needed to keep up with rising demand, particularly from data centers that could move into the state.

What they’re saying:

Public advocates warn that all that extra power could come at a cost to customers who are already paying more than they used to.

Giselle Graciano, who moved from Kansas to metro Atlanta earlier this year, said her monthly utility bills have been much higher than expected.

“Average bill, so far, has been around $90 to $110,” Graciano said. “Compared to where I came from, yeah — that’s a lot of money.”

In recent testimony, public-interest advocacy staff with the PSC said Georgia Power’s proposal could raise monthly bills by about $20.

“Definitely, a bit of a strain in terms of budgeting, especially in current economic conditions,” Graciano said.

Georgia Power has already raised prices six times since 2022, though the PSC approved a rate freeze through 2028. Consumer advocates worry customer bills could rise again once that freeze ends.

“I think it’s a travesty,” said Kimberly Scott, Executive Director of the advocacy group Georgia WAND. “We could see an increase in our rates come 2028, 2029.”

Public-interest advocates are urging the PSC to approve only about one-third of what Georgia Power requested, arguing it’s unclear if the potential data center contracts will actually materialize.

“The approach seems to be, if you build it, they will come. But what if they don’t?” said Bob Sherrier, Staff Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

The other side:

In a statement, Georgia Power spokesperson Matthew Kent said the company disagrees with staff testimony calling its demand projections speculative.

“We continue to work with the Georgia PSC to ensure that we have the reliable energy Georgia needs as our state grows while maintaining affordability for all customers,” Kent said. “It is due to these large-load commitments that Georgia Power was able to freeze base rates for the next three years.”

What’s next:

The Public Service Commission will hold hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 12 and is expected to vote on Dec. 19, just before newly elected commissioners are sworn in.

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