(WASHINGTON) — Two National Guard members from West Virginia remain in critical condition after being shot in downtown Washington, D.C., near the White House on Wednesday, according to officials.
“Unfortunately today, as most families join together to give thanks for the blessings that have been bestowed upon them, two families are shattered and destroyed and torn apart as a result of the actions of one man,” Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said on Thursday.
The victims were identified as 20-year-old Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom and 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, officials announced on Thursday.
Wolfe was a member of the Air National Guard in West Virginia who entered the service in February 2019 and had earned numerous service medals. Beckstrom was assigned to a military police company as part of the West Virginia National Guard, entering the service in June 2023, according to the West Virginia National Guard.
The two joined the D.C. task force at the beginning of the mission in early August, the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement.
During the press conference on Thursday, Pirro said the two Guardsmen were sworn in 24 hours prior to being shot. A joint task force spokesperson later said the two Guard members were deputized less than 24 hours before the shooting to “maintain their status to conduct presence patrols,” according to a joint task force spokesperson.
Brigadier Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, commander of the D.C. National Guard, was emotional while discussing the struggles the families of the victims will face this Thanksgiving — with all their lives “changed forever because one person decided to do this horrific and evil thing.”
The two Guardsmen were armed at the time of the shooting, Jeffrey Carroll, the executive assistant chief for the Metropolitan Police Department, said on Wednesday.
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. According to the most recent update, there are 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
After the shooting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump has asked to send another 500 National Guardsmen to D.C.
The suspected shooter was identified as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who allegedly drove across the country from Washington state to the nation’s capital and targeted the Guardsmen, officials said.
Lakanwal was charged with three counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, but he could also face the charge of first-degree murder depending on the conditions of the Guardsmen, Pirro said.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Two National Guardsmen were ambushed Wednesday in the nation’s capital in what officials are calling a targeted shooting.”
The suspected gunman has been identified by law enforcement as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He will be charged with three counts of assault with the intent to kill while armed and criminal possession of a weapon, officials said during a press conference on Thursday.
“You picked the wrong target, the wrong city and the wrong country and you will be sorry for the violence and the evil you perpetrated in our nation’s capital,” Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters.
Lakanwal is believed to be from Afghanistan and came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, law enforcement sources said. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, according to the sources.
When asked Thursday about when the suspect was granted asylum, FBI Director Kash Patel did not answer, instead referring to the statement from DHS Secretary Kristin Noem.
Gunman previously worked for the CIA The suspect previously worked with the U.S. government, including the CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, “which ended in 2021 following the withdrawal from Afghanistan,” according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“This individual — and so many others — should have never been allowed to come here,” Ratcliffe said.
Sources said the FBI is currently investigating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism, suggesting authorities are trying to determine if it may have been inspired by an international terrorist organization.
Patel said officials are looking into whether the suspect had any associates overseas.
Drove across the country to the nation’s capital Officials said the suspect has a wife and five children. He drove from his residence in Washington state to the nation’s capital prior to the shooting and targeted the Guardsmen, officials said.
“Somebody drove across the country to Washington, D.C., to attack America,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
A search warrant was conducted at the suspect’s home in Bellingham, Washington, where officials found “numerous electronic devices,” Patel said.
Patel added that this is a “coast-to-coast investigation.” Officials are interviewing individuals at the suspect’s home and in San Diego, where the alleged shooter has ties, Patel said.
Guardsmen were ambushed by the suspect Pirro said the gunman, who “opened fire without provocation, ambush style,” struck one of the victims, leaned over and shot the individual again. The suspect then shot the other Guard member “several times.”
The weapon used in the shooting was a .357 Smith &Wesson revolver, officials said.
The suspect allegedly got shot by a third member of the National Guard and then was subdued, but officials did not say how many shots were fired at or by the suspect.
In an address on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump confirmed that the suspected gunman is believed to have entered the U.S. from Afghanistan.
“It was a crime against our entire nation,” he said. “It was a crime against humanity.”
Trump said the shooting “underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation” and the U.S. “must now reexamine every single alien from Afghanistan who has entered our country under Biden and we must take all necessary measures to ensure the removal of any alien from any country who does not belong here or add benefit to our country.”
The Guard members, a woman and a man deployed from West Virginia, were conducting “high visibility patrols” at the time of the attack, according to law enforcement officials.
They are being treated at area hospitals and are in critical condition, officials said. The condition of the suspect has not been released.
Pirro said that the suspect’s charges could change depending on the conditions of the victims. If the two Guard members do not survive, Pirro said the suspect will be charged with first-degree murder.
A motive has not immediately been determined; however, Bowser said the individual “appeared to target” the Guard members.
“What we know is that this is a targeted shooting and one individual appeared to target these guardsmen,” according to Bowser.
Patel said the case is being carried out as an attack on a federal law enforcement officer, adding that the victims are “heroes.”
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. According to the most recent update, there are 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
(WASHINGTON) — Federal officials on Thursday morning revealed more details about the attack that left two National Guard members in critical condition in an apparent “targeted shooting” near the White House.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital, identified the two wounded members of the West Virginia National Guard as Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24.
The shooting took place around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Farragut West Metro station.
Pirro said the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, allegedly drove cross-country from Washington state to target the guard members.
She said the suspect, an Afghan national, ambushed the guard members, opening fire with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver.
“One guardsman is struck, goes down, and then the shooter leans over and strikes the guardsman again. Another guardsman is struck several times,” she said.
Other National Guard members quickly responded and helped subdue the suspected shooter after he was shot by a guard member, she said.
Brigadier General Leland D. Blanchard II, commander of the D.C. National Guard, was emotional as he talked about the struggles Beckstrom and Wolfe’s families were facing as other Americans celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Regardless of the outcome, we know that their lives, their family lot, their families, lives are all changed forever because one person decided to do this horrific and evil thing,” he said.
Pirro said that the suspect will be charged with several counts, including assault with intent to harm and criminal possession of a weapon. She noted that those charges could change depending on the fate of the wounded guard members.
The suspect’s motive is still unclear, according to officials, speaking at a news conference.
FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters the probe is “ongoing investigation of terrorism.”
Investigators searched the suspect’s Bellingham, Washington, home and interviewed tenants for more information, according to Patel. Patel also said interviews were taking place in San Diego, but declined to provide further details.
He noted that the FBI received confirmation from the Department of Defense and CIA “that the subject had a relationship in Afghanistan with partner forces.”
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well, to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” Patel said.
Lakanwal, who Pirro said had a wife and five children, came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement Wednesday evening.
He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted that status in April of this year, under the Trump administration, according to three law enforcement sources.
“He previously worked with the USG, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar that ended in 2021 following the withdrawal from Afghanistan,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement.
“[The suspect] would have been vetted against classified and unclassified holdings when he came here and as part of the asylum process,” said ABC News contributor John Cohen, former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security and a former U.S. counterterrorism coordinator.
“He was actually granted asylum under the Trump administration … This does raise the question whether the administration is focusing enough on terrorism threats versus civil immigration enforcement.”
The White House was briefly put on lockdown on Wednesday but the order was lifted at about 5 p.m. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city and crime crackdown in August. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
On Tuesday, during the traditional turkey pardoning at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of D.C. streets. He said it was “one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank you for the job you’ve done here is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Authorities are set to hold a press conference Thursday morning after two National Guard members from West Virginia remain in critical condition after a gunman opened fire on them in an apparent “targeted shooting” near the White House, officials said.
The gunfire broke out around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, when the unidentified suspect rounded a corner, near the Farragut West Metro station in Washington, D.C., raised his arm with the weapon and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said.
Other National Guard members quickly responded to the shooting and helped subdue the suspected shooter, Carroll said.
“They heard the gunfire and they actually were able to intervene and to hold down the suspect after he had been shot on the ground,” Carroll said of the responding Guard members.
Law enforcement officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, are scheduled to hold a news conference at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is expected to be present.
The White House was briefly put on lockdown on Wednesday but that the order was lifted at about 5 p.m. President Donald Trump and the first lady are in Florida, where they are spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club.
The suspected gunman has been identified by law enforcement as 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
Lakanwal is believed to be from Afghanistan and came to the United States in 2021 under the Biden administration, the sources said. He applied for asylum in 2024 and was granted asylum in April 2025, under the Trump administration, according to three law enforcement sources.
Several sources told ABC News that the FBI is investigating the shooting as a potential act of international terrorism, suggesting authorities are trying to determine if it may have been inspired by an international terrorist organization.
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. According to the most recent update, there were 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
On Tuesday, during the traditional turkey pardoning at the White House, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of D.C. streets. He said it was “one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank you for the job you’ve done here is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — Editor’s note: The West Virginia governor initially said that the 2 Guard members had died but has since said there is conflicting information about their conditions.
Two National Guard members are dead after being shot in downtown Washington near the White House, according to West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
“It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries. These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country. We are in ongoing contact with federal officials as the investigation continues,” Morrisey said.
“Our entire state grieves with their families, their loved ones, and the Guard community. West Virginia will never forget their service or their sacrifice, and we will demand full accountability for this horrific act,” Morrisey said.
The two National Guard members were a woman and man, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the situation.
A suspect is in custody, the Metropolitan Police Department said, and the scene has been secured. A man believed to be suspect in critical condition, the law enforcement official said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Marshalls, ATF and the FBI, responded to the shooting. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency was working with local authorities to gather more information.
According to a D.C. police official, there was an active shooter incident reported at 2:20 p.m. ET at the entrance to the Farragut West Metro station.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
A White House official confirmed the White House is currently on lockdown. Trump is currently in Florida, where he is spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on Wednesday afternoon. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. According to the most recent update, there are 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
On Tuesday, during the traditional turkey pardon, Trump touted his administration’s takeover of D.C. He said it was “one of our most unsafe places anywhere in the United States. It is now considered a totally safe city.”
“You could walk down any street in Washington and you’re going to be just fine. And I want to thank the National Guard. I want to thank you for the job you’ve done here is incredible,” Trump said at the event.
Vice President JD Vance addressed the shooting on Wednesday as he spoke to troops in Texas, where he was spending the day serving meals to soldiers and their families ahead of Thanksgiving.
“We’re still learning everything. We still don’t know the motive,” Vance said.
“It’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” the vice president said. “And as a person who goes into work every single day in that building and knows that there are a lot of people who wear the uniform of the United States Army, let me just say very personally thank them for what they’re doing.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Two National Guardsmen have been shot in downtown Washington near the White House, according to multiple officials.
The two injured National Guard members are a woman and man. Both are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the situation.
One suspect is in custody, the Metropolitan Police Department said, and the scene has been secured. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Marshalls, ATF and the FBI, responded.
A man believed to be suspect in critical condition, the law enforcement official said.
According to a D.C. police official, there was an active shooter incident reported at 2:20 p.m. ET at the entrance to the Farragut West Metro station.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
A White House official confirmed the White House is currently on lockdown. Trump is currently in Florida, where he is spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club.
“The animal that shot the two National Guardsmen, with both being critically wounded, and now in two separate hospitals, is also severely wounded, but regardless, will pay a very steep price,” Trump wrote on his social media platform on Wednesday afternoon. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The National Guard was deployed to the nation’s capital as part of President Trump’s federal takeover of the city in August. According to to the most recent update, there are 2,188 Guard personnel assigned to D.C.
“Please join me in praying for the two National Guardsmen who were just shot moments ago in Washington D.C. [Department of Homeland Security] is working with local law enforcement to gather more information,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Two uniformed military personnel, appearing to be National Guardsmen, have been shot in downtown Washington just blocks from the White House, according to two sources familiar with the ongoing situation.
The Metropolitan Police Department said it is on the scene of a shooting at 17th and I streets.
“Please avoid the area as MPD and our partners work to secure the scene,” the MPD wrote on X.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud in a police booking photo. (West Palm Beach Police Department)
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — A Florida driver was arrested after allegedly trying to hit members of an LGBTQ running club with his vehicle at a local park, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Ihab Mustafa El Mahmoud, 43, was arrested on Monday evening for “attempting to strike members of a local running club at a park, making multiple passes and driving recklessly before fleeing,” police said in a press release on Tuesday.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 8:20 p.m. on Monday, and upon arriving, “met with members of a local LGBTQIA+ running club” who reported an individual allegedly driving a Ford Bronco SUV and “intentionally” trying to strike the group with his car, officials said.
Witnesses told officers the individual — later identified as El Mahmoud — had “accelerated toward the runners, making a second attempt to strike them, he then drove recklessly along sidewalks, through grass, and up an embankment before fleeing eastbound,” police said.
Upon further investigation, officials learned that El Mahmoud “became upset over a perceived comment by a male member of the running club, leading to his agitation and subsequent actions,” police said.
The running club was identified as Night Runners WPB, which hosts walks and runs every Monday and Thursday night, according to ABC West Palm Beach, Florida, affiliate WPBF.
Rudolph Galindo, who has been a part of the club since its start nine years ago, told ABC News the suspect’s car was heading right toward him after he asked El Mahmoud if he was there for the running group, which he said “bothered” the suspect.
“As I was talking to a few others, I saw out of the corner of my eye that he got into his car and then started accelerating in reverse directly toward me where I was standing in the parking lot,” Galindo said, describing the incident as a “traumatic experience.”
Galindo, 41, said he then began yelling at the 40 other runners in the area to clear out of the parking lot, with many hiding behind trees.
Seeing the suspect’s car barreling toward the runners, Galindo said he believes the vehicle could have been traveling at a speed of 60 to 80 mph.”He definitely had his foot down on the gas, full pedal to the metal,” Galindo said.
Now Galindo said the club is trying to reassure other members it is safe to take part in their runs.
“It was a scary moment. I’m sad that someone could be that aggressive with a group of people,” Galindo told ABC News.
Shortly after the incident, police said they located El Mahmoud pulling into a parking garage where he tried to remove the license plate from his SUV. He was then taken into custody.
El Mahmoud has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony and one count of reckless driving, police said. He may also be charged with a hate crime, with officials reviewing his charges for potential enhancement under the state’s hate crime statute, police said.
El Mahmoud is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. The name of the public defender representing El Mahmoud was not immediately available.
(LOS ANGELES) — Three men have been charged with murder in the “ambush-style” shooting of a 22-year-old Latin singer, officials said Wednesday.
The victim, Maria De La Rosa, was known professionally as DELAROSA, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which announced the charges in the fatal shooting that occurred in the Northridge neighborhood over the weekend.
Shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, the suspects allegedly approached a parked car, “demanded money, then opened fire, striking all three occupants,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
De La Rosa was taken to a hospital where she died from gunshot wounds, police said. The other two victims suffered critical injuries, prosecutors said.
Two of the suspects — Francisco Otilio Gaytan and Benny LiconGomez, both 27 — were arrested over the weekend, while an arrest warrant has been issued for the third — 21-year-old Eduardo Lopez, prosecutors said.
The three suspects, all of Northridge, have each been charged with one felony count of murder and two felony counts of attempted second-degree robbery, prosecutors said.
LiconGomez is being held on $2,280,000 bail and is set to be arraigned on Wednesday. Gaytan’s bail was set at $2,180,000 and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 7, 2026.
Lopez’s bail has been set at $2,205,000, with an arraignment to be scheduled at a later date.
If convicted as charged, the suspects face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“This was a ruthless and targeted attack that stole the life of a young woman and artist and inflicted profound lifelong trauma on her family and the two survivors,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “My Office will pursue this case aggressively to ensure those responsible are held fully accountable for this senseless and deadly violence.”
De La Rosa was a Latin singer growing in popularity with about 40,000 Instagram followers.
The victim’s mother, Deyanira De La Rosa, told Los Angeles ABC station KABC that her daughter had been out with friends when they were shot.
“How do [you do] that to her?” her mother said. “Who do this to her? Because this is not normal.”
President Donald Trump speaks to the media aboard Air Force One on November 25, 2025 in flight en route to Florida. The Trumps are traveling to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case against President Donald Trump and others has been dismissed after the prosecutor who took over the case requested that it be dropped.
“In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years,” wrote Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, who took over the case after the original prosecutor was disqualified from the case.
Within minutes of Skandalakis’ court filing, the judge overseeing the case granted the request and dismissed the case.
“This case is hereby dismissed in its entirety,” Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee wrote.
Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
The charges, which were brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which he asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed to win the state, allege that the defendants solicited state leaders throughout the country, harassed and misled a Georgia election worker, and pushed phony claims that the election was stolen, all in an effort for Trump to remain in power despite his election loss.
Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.
Willis was subsequently disqualified from the case following accusations of impropriety regarding her relationship with a fellow prosecutor, leaving a council of Georgia attorneys to assign an independent prosecutor to take over the case and determine its fate.
Skandalakis took over the case himself earlier this month after he said he was “unable” to find someone else to accept the job.
In a statement following the dismissal of the case, Trump attorney Steve Sadow said, “The political persecution of President Trump by disqualified DA Fani Willis is finally over. This case should never have been brought. A fair and impartial prosecutor has put an end to this lawfare.”
The dismissal marks the end of the two major election interference cases Trump faced following the 2020 election.
Following an eight-month investigation by then-special counsel Jack Smith, Trump pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged.
After Trump was reelected president last year, the case was dismissed without prejudice due to the Justice Department’s long-standing policy barring the prosecution of a sitting president.
In a 22-page filing explaining his decision to drop the Fulton County case, Skandalakis wrote that the allegations and case theory are “not a viable basis for prosecution,” and noted the timing and logistical difficulties of continuing the case specifically against Trump.
He acknowledged the seriousness of the case, writing that the indictment, if proven, would establish a conspiracy undertaken by multiple individuals … to overturn the results of the November 2020 Presidential Election,” but said that trying a criminal case against Trump would not be feasible.
“There is no realistic prospect that a sitting President will be compelled to appear in Georgia to stand trial on the allegations in this indictment,” he wrote. “And even if, by some extraordinary circumstance, [Trump] were to appear in Georgia on January 21, 2029 — the day after his term concludes — an immediate jury trial would be impossible.”
Regarding the specifics of the case against Trump, Skandalakis wrote that “Overt acts such as arranging a phone call, issuing a public statement, tweeting to the public to watch the Georgia Senate subcommittee hearings, texting someone to attend those hearings, or answering a 63-minute phone call without providing the context of that conversation, just to name a few examples, are not acts I would consider sufficient to sustain a RICO case” against the president, referring to the racketeering charges that Trump faced.
Skandalakis wrote that he considered severing Trump from his co-defendants but concluded that such a move would be “futile and unproductive.”
He also concluded that the case should have been pursued federally, not in a Fulton County courtroom.
“The criminal conduct alleged in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit’s prosecution was conceived in Washington, D.C., not the State of Georgia. The federal government is the appropriate venue for this prosecution, not the State of Georgia,” he wrote.
He also identified a series of flaws in the prosecution’s case theory, including that the Republican electors charged lacked criminal intent and that the allegations against federal officials Jeff Clark and Mark Meadows “fall short of the far more rigorous standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt required to sustain a criminal conviction.”
In concluding his explanation, Skandalakis acknowledged that his decision would receive pushback — but said he still had to make it.
“The role of a prosecutor is not to satisfy public opinion or achieve universal approval; such a goal is both unattainable and irrelevant to the proper exercise of prosecutorial discretion. My assessment of this case has been guided solely by the evidence, the law, and the principles of justice,” he wrote.
