The fake-elector cases: charges, a dismissal in Georgia and a blanket federal pardon
Eighty-four people in seven states signed false certificates claiming Trump won in 2020. Here is where accountability stands.
After the 2020 election, 84 Republicans in seven states Trump lost signed certificates falsely declaring themselves the states' electors. Prosecutors in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada brought charges; officials in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin concluded state law did not clearly cover the fake electors themselves.
In November 2025, Trump issued a federal pardon to 77 people tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 result, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Sidney Powell and many fake electors. The pardon is largely symbolic: none of them faced federal charges, and a president cannot pardon state crimes.
Weeks later, on Nov. 26, 2025, Georgia's sweeping racketeering case against Trump and his allies was dismissed in its entirety after the prosecutor who took it over, Pete Skandalakis, asked the court to drop it. The case had grown out of Trump's call asking Georgia's secretary of state to find 11,780 votes.
The receipts
Original reporting. Credit belongs to these outlets and authors; read the full stories at the source.
CREW by Gabriella Cantor and Sara Wiatrak
The cases against fake electors and where they standVotebeat byline on original
Trump pardons Giuliani and other allies who worked to overturn his 2020 election lossNPR by Sam Gringlas
The Georgia election interference case against Trump and others has been droppedABC News byline on original
Georgia prosecutor drops election interference case against Trump, others