In a dramatic turn that has reverberated far beyond Georgia’s borders, Judge Scott McAfee on November 26, 2025, dismissed the sweeping election interference case against President Donald Trump and over a dozen of his allies. The move, prompted by Special Prosecutor Pete Skandalakis’s motion to drop all charges, has not only closed a historic chapter in American legal and political history but also left Fulton County taxpayers and legal observers grappling with the staggering financial aftermath.
The case, originally brought by then-District Attorney Fani Willis, had alleged a far-reaching conspiracy to overturn Trump’s narrow 2020 election loss in Georgia. Central to the indictment was Trump’s now-infamous January 2, 2021 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the president pressured officials to "find 11,780 votes"—the precise number needed to reverse Joe Biden’s certified victory in the state. Despite multiple official counts confirming Biden’s win, Trump continued to insist the results were wrong, urging Raffensperger to "reevaluate" the vote totals.
But after months of legal wrangling and public scrutiny, the case unraveled. According to NPR, Special Prosecutor Skandalakis, who took over after Willis was disqualified, told the court there was "no realistic prospect" of trying a sitting president while in office. He argued that pursuing the case would be "unproductive" and likely drag on for "five to 10 years" as courts wrestled with complex presidential immunity issues. Skandalakis also emphasized that it would be "illogical and burdensome" to try the remaining 14 co-defendants without Trump, whom he described as the "central figure in the indictment."
The legal drama was compounded by the Georgia Court of Appeals’ decision in December 2024 to remove Willis from the case, citing an "appearance of impropriety" linked to her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. This disqualification left the case on shaky ground, and Skandalakis’s subsequent motion to dismiss sealed its fate. Judge McAfee’s ruling has now ended what many considered the last major criminal prosecution against Trump related to the 2020 election.
For some defense teams, the dismissal brought a sense of vindication. The original racketeering (RICO) case had loomed large over Trump’s post-presidency, with four of the original defendants already having pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. But as the dust settles, a new and pressing question has emerged: Who will foot the bill for the legal saga, and just how high could the costs climb?
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), the financial impact on Fulton County taxpayers could be "millions" or even "tens of millions" of dollars. A new Georgia law, written with this very scenario in mind, allows defendants to seek reimbursement for their legal fees if a prosecutor is disqualified and the case is dismissed. As WSB-TV reports, attorneys believe the potential payouts could be massive, though no formal claims have been filed yet.
Public records reviewed by the AJC reveal that Trump’s political action committees (PACs) have spent more than $5.5 million on Georgia-based attorneys since 2021. That eye-watering sum includes over $1.5 million paid to lead attorney Steve Sadow since August 2023, nearly $1.5 million to Trump’s former lawyer Drew Findling, more than $2.2 million to attorney Jennifer Little between March 2021 and August 2024, and $326,000 combined for three additional Georgia attorneys. These figures, drawn from PAC disclosures, underscore just how costly Trump’s legal defense has been.
But Trump’s legal bills are only part of the story. The Georgia Republican Party, according to the AJC, spent roughly $2.3 million defending three so-called "fake electors"—former party chair David Shafer, Cathy Latham, and State Senator Shawn Still—who signed certificates falsely claiming Trump had won Georgia. Meanwhile, several co-defendants turned to crowdfunding to cover their mounting legal expenses. Harrison Floyd raised about $363,000, John Eastman brought in $937,000, and Jeff Clark collected approximately $153,000 online.
All told, the total defense spending for Trump and his co-defendants is likely "well above $10 million," the AJC reports. And that’s not even counting the costs borne by Fulton County for prosecution, court administration, evidence processing, overtime, and security—expenses for which there is currently no public accounting.
So, will Fulton County taxpayers be stuck with the tab? The answer, for now, is a resounding "maybe." Under the new law, each defendant has 45 days from the date of dismissal—November 26, 2025—to file a claim seeking reimbursement for "reasonable attorney’s fees and costs." Judge McAfee will then decide how much, if anything, the county must pay. As of yet, no reimbursement has been ordered, and there is no confirmed total for what Fulton County might ultimately owe.
The uncertainty has left many local residents and officials on edge. Some worry that payouts could strain the county’s budget, especially if the final sum reaches into the tens of millions. Others argue that the law was crafted to ensure fairness for defendants caught in a legal quagmire not of their own making, particularly when a prosecutor is removed for ethical reasons.
Meanwhile, questions linger about what will happen to the cooperation deals struck by the four defendants who pleaded guilty. Prosecutors have not announced any plans to refile charges or pursue alternative legal avenues, leaving the status of those agreements—and any potential testimony or evidence they produced—in limbo.
For Trump and his allies, the dismissal marks a significant legal victory. With the Georgia case now closed, the former president is free from the last criminal prosecution tied directly to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. But for Fulton County, the legal and financial fallout is just beginning, with taxpayers potentially on the hook for a case that dominated headlines and divided the nation for years.
As the 45-day window for reimbursement claims ticks down, all eyes are on Judge McAfee’s courtroom. The final reckoning—both legal and financial—remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the legacy of Georgia’s election interference case will echo in courtrooms, county budgets, and the political arena for a long time to come.
