The news that Pete Skandalakis will take over the investigation of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ involvement in the effort to upend the 2020 presidential election served as a reminder of the long shadow the last election continues to cast, even as the next one takes shape.
Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, called his own number apparently after failing to find another prosecutor willing to take on the task and having been nudged by a lawsuit to get on with it. Under state law, the council had the job of finding a replacement for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after Judge Robert McBurney disqualified her from prosecuting Jones because she hosted a fundraiser for his Democratic opponent in the last election.
That was two years ago, and with all the soap opera drama involved in the continuing prosecution of the other 19 defendants in the case, Jones’ case has faded from view for all but a few people. During this time he’s collected lots of headlines, but they’ve had to do with his efforts as lieutenant governor and his aspirations for the next highest job.
Jones welcomed the news with a parting shot at Willis, who he said “has made a mockery of this legal process,” and spoke of moving on quickly.
For all that, it’s not necessarily good news for Jones, or for that matter anyone in the fake electors case, that Skandalakis is taking this case as his personal responsibility. He’s a tough prosecutor with no reason to be wild about some of the state Senate’s attempts to regulate district attorneys. He’s a Republican, in contrast to Willis.
Skandalakis also has a documented reputation for thoroughness, which could be important as time becomes a bigger factor. He took a year before dismissing charges against two Atlanta police officers who had been charged in the killing of Rayshard Brooks. His decision may not have pleased those incensed by the killing, but the deliberate nature by which he went about it helped ease tensions. It’s every bit as important that Skandalakis get this case right as well.
A lot of smart money in Georgia has come to view Jones as the frontrunner in the 2026 governor’s race. Being the subject of an active investigation doesn’t derail Jones and could even fire up his base. But the longer it takes to resolve this case, the more it complicates his plans for the governor’s race.
The reigniting of the Jones investigation has received a much less breathless response from national media than the details of Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. But if Jones were to be prosecuted, he would become the highest-ranking state official in the nation to become ensnared in Donald Trump’s effort to reverse the results of the 2020 election.
Because it is two years late getting started, there also is a chance this case could go on longer than any of those currently facing the defendant whom all of this was about in the first place, namely Donald J. Trump.
By most accounts, Trump was in low-energy mode during the first day of jury selection for his New York hush money trial. That trial will drag out for a while, as will the other cases, including the Fulton County case.
However, either by election or conviction, the long legal battle over 2020 is eventually going to end, and the future of the Republican Party will no longer be all about Trump.
The legal and political future of Burt Jones could tell us a lot about what happens to his party when that day comes.
I had assumed that Skandalakis was taking over the investigation (under pressure from Democrats) mainly to deep-six it, Tom. But your insights about him make me reconsider that assumption. I hope he’s thorough and approaches the investigation with neither fear nor favor.
Skandalakis never met a case that he couldn’t deep six. He likely could not find a GOP DA to take the case and no Black DA would agree to scuttle the prosecution, so he appointed himself. I believe he has every intention to whitewash this case like he did for the killer of Rashard Books. Skandalakis has never seen fit to prosecute law enforcement, including the officers who threw a bomb into a crib next to a baby.
I would gladly save the tax payers money for the investigation of Burt Jones. IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! The Republican controlled Congress & Senate has ensured that justice only reflects their wishes. I’m still stunned by the way our so called intelligent leaders handled Rudy Guillani. Joke! Raffensburger & Kemp found guilty of purging voters from registered voters list. I’m sure if they can-Fani will be punished for daring to come after them. It’s beyond disgusting and embarrassing just how corrupt the system is.