Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Cleared In GA Subversion Case That Charged Trump

ATLANTA, GA — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will not face criminal charges in connection with an election interference case where former President Donald Trump and 18 allies were indicted, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Jones was suspected of acting as a fake elector on behalf of Trump, WABE reported.

Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, on Friday ruled the then-Georgia senator had no criminal intent in his actions following the 2020 presidential election, the AJC reported.

“The evidence reveals Senator Jones acted in a manner consistent with his position representing the concerns of his constituents and in reliance upon the advice of attorneys when he served as an alternate elector,” Skandalakis said, per the AJC. “The evidence also indicates Senator Jones did not act with criminal intent, which is an essential element of committing any crime.”

Jones was not included in the August 2023 roundup once the Fulton County District Attorney's Office began handing out indictments in the subversion case.

The probe into Jones' alleged involvement in overturning the election was bound to the PAC after a judge ruled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had a conflict of interest since she held a fundraiser for Jones' challenger during his run for lieutenant governor, WABE reported.

“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 in his ruling, per WABE. “Therefore, this case does not warrant further investigation or further actions, and I consider the matter closed.”

The news comes a day after Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee ruled Georgia prosecutors lacked the authority to bring forth two charges against Trump that stemmed from accusations of false documents being filed in federal court, Reuters reported.

Trump is facing racketeering and several other charges after prosecutors accused him and his co-defendants of trying to unlawfully overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. McAfee on Thursday did not toss out the entire 41-count indictment against Trump.

An official court date has not yet been set for Trump.