WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move legal scholars are calling “somewhere between performance art and a coupon code for crime,” President Donald Trump quietly pardoned 77 people involved in the 2020 fake electors scheme earlier this month. The pardons, signed on Nov. 7, were posted to X by U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, who — in keeping with current federal transparency standards — shared only blurry photos taken on what appeared to be a Samsung Galaxy S3.
The proclamation offers an “unconditional pardon” for individuals connected to the 2020 presidential election, “whether or not recognized by any State or State official,” a phrase legal experts say has “big Santa Claus energy,” as it implies Trump can simply declare immunity by writing people’s names on a list and hoping everyone agrees.
Unfortunately for the recipients, presidential pardons don’t apply to state charges. Many of the newly “forgiven” individuals remain very much un-forgiven in Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin, where local prosecutors apparently did not get the memo that Trump is now President, Judge, and Also the Court of Appeals.
Nevada: “You Can’t Just Mail Immunity Like It’s a Rebate Form”
Nevada’s case was revived last week after the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that yes, submitting a fake elector certificate in Las Vegas means Las Vegas is, in fact, the place you prosecute the fake elector certificate. In a 6–0 decision, justices clarified that “how geography works” is still applicable law.
Nevada AG Aaron Ford has “vowed to pick up where he left off,” which sources say means charging people in the place where they did the thing.
Georgia: The Telenovela of Justice
Georgia’s sprawling racketeering case has been paused for nearly two years due to a plotline so dramatic that Netflix reportedly asked Fani Willis if it could option her life story for a limited series starring Kerry Washington.
After revelations of a relationship between Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade, the Court of Appeals ruled Willis must be removed due to “the world’s most obvious conflict of interest.”
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council spent all of 2025 trying to find anyone willing to take the case, finally resulting in PAC director Peter Skandalakis assigning it… to himself. Legal analysts say his options include:
- Reviving the original indictment
- Dropping the case
- Seeing if someone — anyone — else wants this job
Insiders say the final option is “unlikely.”
Arizona: “We’re Appealing the Ruling About the Appeal About the Indictment About the Fake Electors”
Arizona AG Kris Mayes continues battling defense arguments that the fake electors were actually legal electors in their hearts, a theory they say prosecutors failed to present to the first grand jury.
A judge agreed. Mayes appealed. The appeals court declined. Now she might appeal to the Supreme Court. Legal observers describe the process as “three-dimensional chess played entirely on fire.”
Mayes insists she remains committed to the case, noting:
“There is nothing more important than defending democracy, except maybe running for reelection while defending democracy.”
Wisconsin: The Cheese State Grinds On
Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul targeted the architects of the fake elector plan rather than the full cast, possibly because prosecuting all eleven would require rearranging Green Bay’s football schedule.
A judge ruled the defendants’ attempt to dismiss the case was “cute, but no,” noting that “you can’t just stop a trial by saying you disagree with the facts.”
Kaul, also running for reelection because apparently every AG in America is, has not yet said how he’ll proceed — though sources close to him say they’ve heard sighing.
The Bottom Line
Trump’s “unconditional pardons” may offer comfort, but legal experts say the only people who truly benefit from them are:
- Trump
- People selling commemorative pardon NFTs
- Attorneys who bill by the hour
Meanwhile, the 77 pardoned individuals remain in limbo, wondering whether:
- Their state charges will stick
- Their federal pardons will help
- Or whether everything will hinge on a guy named Skandalakis who decided to just handle things himself
One thing is clear:
The legal system may move slowly, but it still moves — even if the president tries to hit Undo like this is a Word document.