Trump’s Georgia Election Interference Case Dropped. What’s the Status of His Other Legal Battles?

A judge dismissed the case against President Donald Trump and others on Wednesday following a request from the prosecutor, making the notable racketeering prosecution the latest in a series of legal actions against Trump that have concluded since his reelection to a second term.
Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of Georgia’s nonpartisan prosecutor council who assumed leadership of the prosecution earlier this month, submitted a motion requesting to drop the case on Wednesday, which a judge subsequently approved. In his filing, Skandalakis asserted that “it is not illegal to question or challenge election results.”
The case stemmed from a phone call between Trump and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021, during which Trump reportedly urged Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.” Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in August 2023 for allegedly participating in a plot to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. Trump faced a total of 13 charges, including violating state racketeering laws, conspiring to commit forgery, and making false statements.
However, the case encountered delays last year after it was revealed that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who initiated the charges, was in a relationship with the special prosecutor she had appointed to oversee the case. A state appeals court in December blocked Willis from the case, but the prosecution was permitted to proceed. Skandalakis, who was tasked with finding a new prosecutor to replace Willis, ultimately took the case over himself, citing challenges in securing another attorney.
The case’s dismissal marks the end of the last remaining attempt to criminally prosecute the President for his efforts to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat.
Trump has encountered numerous legal challenges in recent years. Yet, since his reelection last November, several of these cases have been abandoned or collapsed.
Below is an overview of significant legal actions filed against Trump and their current status.
Federal election obstruction case
In August 2023, then-Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump for conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. Prosecutors alleged that Trump repeatedly promoted election fraud lies and pressured state officials to undermine the results of the election. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case sparked discussions regarding Trump’s potential immunity, as it marked the initial instance of a President being indicted for actions undertaken while in office. In February 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump lacked immunity from prosecution, but Trump appealed this decision. In July 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the President “is granted at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts.”
Approximately one month subsequent to the Supreme Court’s ruling, Smith filed a superseding indictment against Trump. However, after his reelection, Smith moved to drop the charges, referencing a long-standing Department of Justice policy that prevents prosecuting a sitting President from federal prosecutions.
Nevertheless, in January, Smith released a report stating that “the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”
Federal classified docs case
In June 2023, Smith filed a separate case against Trump, charging him with mishandling classified documents. Prosecutors alleged that Trump transported classified records from the White House to Mar-a-Lago in January 2021 and hindered government officials’ inquiry into the situation.
A federal judge, appointed by Trump, dismissed the case in July 2024, contending that Smith’s designation as Department of Justice Special Counsel lacked congressional confirmation. The department subsequently indicated its intent to restart the case, but following Trump’s reelection last year, Smith moved to discontinue the charges.
New York “hush money” case
In May 2024, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election. This verdict made Trump the first former U.S. President to be convicted of a crime.
Although the conviction could have resulted in imprisonment and substantial fines, Trump received no jail time, probation, or monetary penalties. In January—just days prior to Trump’s inauguration for his second term—a Manhattan court sentenced Trump to “unconditional discharge,” stating it was the “sole legal sentence” that would not impede Trump’s presidential legal protections.
New York fraud case
New York Attorney General Letitia James initiated a civil action against Trump and senior executives of the Trump Organization in 2022. The lawsuit asserted that the defendants inflated Trump’s net worth to secure more favorable loan conditions. Trump and the co-defendants denied these claims.
In February 2024, a New York judge determined that Trump had engaged in fraud, mandating him to pay $355 million in penalties. These penalties grew over subsequent months, exceeding $520 million with accrued interest. However, in August, a New York appeals court reduced the multimillion-dollar penalty, with most judges on the panel deeming it “excessive.”
The appeals court affirmed the initial judgment finding Trump responsible for fraud and concurred with other sanctions imposed on him, such as a three-year ban from holding a corporate leadership position in any New York company. James announced her intention to appeal this latest ruling.
New York defamation and sexual abuse case
E. Jean Carroll, a prominent writer, claimed in her 2019 memoir that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York City department store during the 1990s. Trump denied the accusation and has publicly denounced and assailed Carroll ever since.
Carroll filed two civil lawsuits against Trump. A jury in 2023 determined Trump was liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, though not for rape. He was directed to pay the author $5 million. In 2024, the jury in the second case mandated Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for his defamatory statements concerning her.
Trump appealed both judgments. In December, an appeals court panel upheld that Trump must pay Carroll $5 million; he sought reconsideration from the full appellate court, but this request was denied in June. A representative for Trump’s legal team stated earlier this month that the President is petitioning the Supreme Court to review the case.
A federal appeals court in September affirmed the $83.3 million judgment against him.