Author | Lightnews

Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 3d

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested Fulton County election records from 2020 as the Trump administration and its supporters continue to scrutinize the presidential election won by Democrat Joe Biden

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Trump’s Justice Department requests Fulton County’s 2020 election records

The Department of Justice letter to Georgia’s largest county suggests the Trump administration remains focused on the 2020 race.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 10d

Since taking office in 2021, Willis appears to have become Georgia's second-biggest user of the state RICO statute behind the AG.

Great comprehensive look of the Fulton DA's use of RICO from my colleagues:

www.ajc.com/news/2025/10...

Fani Willis may use Georgia’s RICO law more than any other DA. At what cost?

Since taking office in 2021, Fani Willis has brought 14 RICO cases against 130 defendants, including popular rappers and President Donald Trump.

www.ajc.com

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Reposted by Tamar Hallerman

David Wickert @david-wickert.bsky.social · 14d

Great profile by th AJC's @tamarhallerman.bsky.social
Meet the lawyer who derailed Georgia’s prosecution of Donald Trump ajc.com/politics/202...

Meet Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer who derailed Georgia’s case against Donald Trump

Ashleigh Merchant was derided for digging into Fani Willis’ sex life. After the Fulton DA‘s ouster, she feels vindicated.

ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 15d

Meet the lawyer who derailed Georgia’s prosecution of Donald Trump

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Meet Ashleigh Merchant, the lawyer who derailed Georgia’s case against Donald Trump

Ashleigh Merchant was derided for digging into Fani Willis’ sex life. After the Fulton DA‘s ouster, she feels vindicated.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 26d

Background: On Friday, McAfee had set a two-week deadline to name a prosecutor to replace Fulton DA Fani Willis after her office was removed from case.

The head of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council then asked for at least 90 days after receiving case file

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia judge gives 14 days to name new Fulton County Trump case prosecutor

If a new prosecutor in the election interference case isn't named in two weeks, the judge could dismiss the case.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 26d

New: Fulton Judge Scott McAfee is now giving a Georgia state agency an extra month to name a new prosecutor in the Fulton election interference case involving President Trump.

The agency's executive director had asked for more time given the very lengthy case file

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 28d

More background: www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia judge gives 14 days to name new Fulton County Trump case prosecutor

If a new prosecutor in the election interference case isn't named in two weeks, the judge could dismiss the case.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 28d

As I've reported previously, Skandalakis has a very tough job trying to find any other prosecutor who will want to take on this case

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

With Fani Willis out, who will take over Georgia’s Trump election case?

With Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her office disqualified, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia will have a big decision to make.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 28d

Skandalakis is asking the judge give him at least 90 days to appoint a new DA -- AFTER his office receives the case files.

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 28d

Executive director Pete Skandalakis said his agency has yet to receive the case file from Fulton prosecutors -- and isn't expecting to receive it for another four weeks given the sheer volume of proceedings 2/

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · 28d

A few days after a Fulton judge gave the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia 14 days to decide who will take on the Fulton Trump case now that Fani Willis has been disqualified, the head of the agency is now asking for an extension 1/

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Oct 3

Breaking: A nonpartisan state agency has only 14 days to name a new prosecutor to lead the Fulton election interference case involving President Donald Trump -- or the judge overseeing the case will dismiss it entirely

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

BREAKING: Judge sets 14-day deadline to name new prosecutor in Fulton Trump case

If a new prosecutor in the election interference case isn't named in two weeks, the judge could dismiss the case.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 27

"They’re fishing."

"Warranted and long overdue."

“I literally cannot think of anything that is not political."

Former prosecutors and political observers in Georgia try to make sense of Fani Willis subpoena

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia legal observers question subpoena targeting Fani Willis

Former prosecutors and legal observers are asking questions as they try to make sense of reporting that the Justice Department has sought out travel records from Fani Willis.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 22

The Georgia election interference case, once considered one of the strongest against Trump, has hit the skids. What are the consequences of that?

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Georgia election case against Trump might never come to trial

The 2020 election is still being fought over, but the evidence might never have its day in court.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 17

What happens to the Georgia Trump case now that Fulton DA Fani Willis is officially out?

Its future rests with a Republican former prosecutor at an obscure state agency already familiar with a portion of the racketeering case

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

With Fani Willis out, who will take over Georgia’s Trump election case?

With Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her office disqualified, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia will have a big decision to make.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

The decision casts doubt on the future of the last remaining criminal prosecution of Trump. A nonpartisan state agency will now try to find another prosecutor to determine how to proceed with the sweeping racketeering case against Trump and his allies.

More: www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Fani Willis loses last chance to stay at the helm Trump Georgia election interference case

Georgia's top court declines to hear Fani Willis appeal in Trump case, meaning she can no longer pursue the election interference case.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

BREAKING: Fani Willis loses last chance to stay at the helm Trump Georgia election interference case

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Fani Willis loses last chance to stay at the helm Trump Georgia election interference case

Georgia's top court declines to hear Fani Willis appeal in Trump case, meaning she can no longer pursue the election interference case.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

…. Or perhaps these will be opinions about whether or not the high court should be taking up the disqualification fight.

We should know later this morning 4/4

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

We had been waiting on the state Supreme Court announce whether or not it would take up the appeal. But worth noting that this entry on the court website says opinions are coming, so perhaps we could see something more definitive… 3/

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

This is a long time coming. Willis had appealed a December decision from the state appeals court that removed her and her office from the case.

Appeals court ruled Willis’ romantic relationship with the case’s onetime special prosecutor was a conflict of interest 2/

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 16

Good morning. This a.m. the Georgia Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the Fani Willis disqualification fight in the 2020 election interference case.

Posted on the high court’s website: 1/

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 10

In a suit filed Tuesday in federal district court in Atlanta, Wade alleged the telecommunications giant violated his privacy and “jeopardized both his well-being and public safety when it unlawfully released” more than 14,000 pages of his cellphone data

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Sep 10

New: Nathan Wade, the former special prosecutor who once quarterbacked the Fulton County election interference case against Trump, is suing AT&T for handing over his cellphone records to defense attorneys as they sought to remove him from the probe

www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Ex-prosecutor in Trump case sues AT&T for handing records to defendants

Former Trump prosecutor Nathan Wade sues AT&T for releasing cellphone records used to oust him from Georgia election interference probe.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Aug 29

As Atlantic hurricane season reaches its peak, inland communities in Georgia that were slammed by Helene last fall continue to rebuild and worry about what's next

www.ajc.com/news/2025/08...

Inland Georgia, still battered from Helene, prepares for 2025 hurricane season

Georgia counties far from the Atlantic and Gulf are bracing for more big storms after being hammered by Hurricane Helene in 2024, and worrying about a rollback in federal aid.

www.ajc.com

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Tamar Hallerman @tamarhallerman.bsky.social · Aug 29

As one attorney told us, "this case, you almost couldn't make it up."

We also have a bonus episode with even more tidbits from the season:
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3ueu...

Breakdown Season 11 Bonus

Podcast Episode · Breakdown · S11 Bonus · 45m

podcasts.apple.com

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