Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is completely vindicated for serving as one of 16 alternate Republican electors who were on standby if the November 2020 presidential election results had shown Donald Trump had won Georgia. Pete Skandalakis, who leads the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, announced Friday that criminal charges originally filed by Fulton County Democrat District Attorney Fani Willis are dropped and that the matter is closed.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones
Then-state Senator Jones was among the alternate presidential electors who met at the state Capitol in December 2020 even though it was determined that Democrat Joe Biden had narrowly defeated Trump statewide.
“My review of the evidence finds this matter does not warrant further consideration. 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 in a statement. “The evidence also indicates Senator Jones did not act with criminal intent, which is an essential element of committing any crime.”
Willis was barred in 2022 from pursuing a case against Jones– who at the time was running for lieutenant governor– after she openly participated in a fundraiser for Jones’ Democrat opponent in that race. In April, Skandalakis became the lead prosecutor and says that he carefully reviewed transcripts, witness depositions, videos of Georgia legislative committees, text messages and other related materials.
Jones said he was following legal advice from attorney Ray Smith who advised that electors would be following a precedent set in Hawaii in 1960’s presidential election and that the GOP alternates would preserve Trump’s legal options in a lawsuit challenging the election results.
Skandalakis determined Jones shouldn’t be punished for following legal advice. “It is my experience and belief that we should encourage someone to seek the advice of a lawyer when faced with an uncertain legal issue. Potentially punishing someone for exercising that right is contrary to our system of justice,” he said.
The lieutenant governor has always denied any wrongdoing in the case and blasted the Democrat DA for pursuing a political hit job against him. “I have always wanted to tell my story in front of a fair and unbiased prosecutor, which Fani Willis clearly is not. I am thankful that I finally had the opportunity to do that. Ms. Willis has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars trying to weaponize our judicial system, increase her political profile and finance an inappropriate relationship with her boyfriend,” Jones declared.
Willis, as this is written, hasn’t responded to this latest legal defeat that she has suffered.
