This morning, an Administrative Order appointing me to the case of State of Georgia v. Donald J. Trump, et al. was filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court of Fulton County, in compliance with an order issued by Atlanta Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.

The filing of this appointment reflects my inability to secure another conflict prosecutor to assume responsibility for this case. Several prosecutors were contacted and, while all were respectful and professional, each declined the appointment. Out of respect for their privacy and professional discretion, I will not identify those prosecutors or disclose their reasons for declining.

The decision to assume responsibility for this matter was reached only after careful and deliberate consideration. While it would have been simple to allow Judge McAfee’s deadline to lapse or to inform the Court that no conflict prosecutor could be secured—thereby allowing the case to be dismissed for want of prosecution—I did not believe that to be the right course of action.

The public has a legitimate interest in the outcome of this case. Accordingly, it is important that someone make an informed and transparent determination about how best to proceed. Given my prior familiarity with portions of the case file, including my earlier involvement in the related matter involving Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, I made the decision to assign the case to myself.

Following the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision declining to review the decision from the Court of Appeals disqualifying the Atlanta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office from further participation in this matter, I requested a copy of the investigative file. However, before receiving the file, I received Judge McAfee’s October 3, 2025 Order, which required me to appoint a prosecutor within 14 days or risk dismissal of the case for want of prosecution. On October 8, 2025, Judge McAfee granted my motion for additional time to locate a prosecutor, extending the deadline to November 14, 2025.

At the time Judge McAfee issued his original order, and even after extending the deadline, I had not yet received the investigative file from the District Attorney’s Office. The first transfer of materials occurred on October 29, 2025, when the Atlanta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office delivered 101 banker boxes of documents related to the Trump investigation. Then, on November 6, 2025, just over one week ago, the office delivered to me an 8-terabyte hard drive containing the complete investigative file.

Since receiving these materials, I have diligently worked to familiarize myself with the record and the status of the proceedings. Additionally, I have attempted to review the evidence gathered and the hours of interviews and proffers of witnesses and former codefendants. Unfortunately, I have not had sufficient time to complete my review.

With Judge McAfee’s deadline now upon us and my review still ongoing, I have determined that the best course of action is to appoint myself to the case. This will allow me to complete a comprehensive review and make an informed decision regarding how best to proceed.

I am keenly aware that this matter has been of significant public interest since January 2021, when District Attorney Fani Willis announced the initiation of the investigation. My only objective is to ensure that this case is handled properly, fairly, and with full transparency discharging my duties without fear, favor, or affection.

At this time, I will be making no further comments.

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