Meadows' Bid to Move Georgia Case to Federal Court Denied
Federal Judge Rejects Request by Former White House Chief of Staff
Case to Remain in State Court After Significant Setback for Meadows
In a significant setback for Mark Meadows, a federal judge on Friday rejected his bid to move his Georgia criminal case to federal court. The decision leaves the prosecution of Meadows, former White House chief of staff, in the hands of state prosecutors.
Meadows, who was indicted on charges of racketeering and other offenses related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, had argued that his actions fell within the scope of his job as a federal official and should be handled in federal court.
However, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones rejected that argument, saying that Meadows' actions did not qualify as a federal crime. Jones also noted that Meadows' alleged conduct occurred outside of his official duties and that he was not acting as a federal agent when he allegedly conspired to interfere with the election.
The ruling is a major defeat for Meadows, who had hoped to move the case to federal court in the belief that he would have a better chance of a favorable outcome there. Federal prosecutors are generally seen as more sympathetic to defendants than state prosecutors, and the federal court system has a higher burden of proof.
The prosecution of Meadows will now remain in the hands of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has been investigating allegations of election interference by Meadows and other associates of former President Donald Trump.
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