Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has been denied his request to transfer his Georgia 2020 election interference case from state to federal court. Meadows sought to argue immunity and have the charges against him dismissed by moving the case to federal court, claiming that his actions were taken in his capacity as a federal officer.[0] However, the federal judge ruled that Meadows had not met the threshold for removal to federal court and that his actions were outside the scope of his official duties.
Meadows and his co-defendants, including former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, had all motioned to move their cases to federal court.[1] They believed that a federal court would provide a friendlier jury pool. Hearings for Clark and Still's requests are scheduled for September 18.[2]
All 19 defendants in the Georgia election interference case, including Meadows, have pleaded not guilty to their charges. Meadows is charged with violating Georgia's RICO law and soliciting a public official to violate their oath.[3] He waived his right to an arraignment and agreed to a $100,000 bond.[2] The charges against Meadows primarily stem from his role in organizing the January 2021 phone call between former President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump asked Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results.[4]
The federal judge's decision hinged on the understanding that Meadows's actions were taken on behalf of the Trump campaign rather than in his capacity as White House Chief of Staff.[5] The judge found that Meadows's involvement in political activities for the campaign exceeded the duties of his position. Additionally, the judge noted that the US Constitution does not provide a basis for the executive branch to involve itself in state election procedures, making Meadows's actions outside the scope of his federal employment.
Former President Trump's lawyers have also indicated that they may seek to move his case to federal court, but no legal motions have been filed yet.[6] Trump and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges in the racketeering indictment related to their alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Meadows's defense strategy is expected to involve blaming Trump as the driving force behind the election interference efforts.[7]
Overall, the denial of Meadows's request to move his case to federal court is a significant development in the Georgia election interference case. It reaffirms that his actions were not protected by immunity as a federal officer and that he will have to face the charges in state court. The decision also sets a precedent for the other co-defendants who have sought to move their cases to federal court. As the legal proceedings continue, the outcome of the case will have implications for how election interference is addressed and prosecuted in the future.
0. “Schiff calls Meadows testimony ‘Hail Mary to escape a potential conviction’” The Hill, 3 Sep. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4185347-schiff-calls-meadows-testimony-hail-mary-to-escape-a-potential-conviction/
1. “Mark Meadows loses fight to move Georgia charges to federal court: judge” USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/08/mark-meadows-georgia-racketeering-state-court/70765877007/
2. “Judge Denies Mark Meadows’ Request To Move Georgia Election Interference Case To Federal Court” Forbes, 8 Sep. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/09/08/judge-denies-mark-meadows-request-to-move-georgia-election-interference-case-to-federal-court/
3. “All 19 defendants in Georgia election interference case have pleaded not guilty” CNN, 5 Sep. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/05/politics/trump-georgia-mark-meadows/index.html
4. “Mark Meadows Handed Legal Loss in Fulton County Transfer Request” Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/mark-meadows-handed-legal-loss-fulton-county-transfer-request-1825732
5. “Judge denies Mark Meadows's effort to move Georgia case to federal court” The Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/08/mark-meadows-court-decision-georgia/
6. “Judge denies Mark Meadows' bid to move Georgia election case to federal court” UPI News, 8 Sep. 2023, https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/09/08/trump-georgia-election-case-mark-meadows-federal-court/5281694210223
7. “Shocker: Mark Meadows May Be About to Turn Against Donald Trump” The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/175366/mark-meadows-may-flip-donald-trump-georgia
