A special prosecutor has been assigned to look into whether Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones should face criminal charges over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
The announcement was made Thursday, with Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, being appointed by a special counsel to investigate the matter, AP reports.
Jones was one of 16 state Republicans who signed a certificate saying that former President Donald Trump had won Georgia. He also called for a special session of the Georgia state legislature to overturn the presidential election results.
The special counsel’s investigation will examine whether Jones should face criminal charges for his actions in the 2020 election.
In 2022, a Fulton County Superior Court judge ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had a conflict of interest in pursuing charges against Jones after she had hosted a fundraiser for his Democratic opponent in the lieutenant governor’s race.
Jones has previously denied any wrongdoing in the matter, saying he and other electors only acted to preserve Trump’s chances if he was able to win a court challenge at the time. Three other people who signed the Republican elector certificate were also indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in August 2022, along with Trump.
“I’m happy to see this process move forward and look forward to the opportunity to get this charade behind me,” Jones said in a statement. “Fani Willis has made a mockery of this legal process, as she tends to do. I look forward to a quick resolution and moving forward with the business of the state of Georgia.”
