Mark Meadows was arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail on Aug. 24 along with 19 other Trump cohorts who ultimately turned themselves in to face charges of election tampering and racketeering. Meadows, Trump’s former White House Chief of staff like the others railed against Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis, and attempted to get their trials moved to a federal court, claiming that since their alleged crimes took place while serving in the Trump Administration their cases should be heard by a federal judge. Meadows also believes that a federal judge would be more sympathetic to his pleadings and he could perhaps get off with a lighter sentence.
On Friday, Sept. 8 though a federal judge ruled that Meadows’ role in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia fell outside the scope of his official duties, so his case should remain in Georgia state court.
“The Court concludes that Meadows has not shown that the actions that triggered the State’s prosecution related to his federal office,” U.S. District Judge Steve Jones (a Barack Obama judicial appointee) wrote in his decision, “The Court concludes that Meadows has not shown that the actions that triggered the State’s prosecution related to his federal office,
Meadows was charged with racketeering and violation of an oath by a public officer after he organized the infamous Jan. 2, 2021 call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger to coerce him to find an additional 11,000 votes to declare him the winner in Georgia and change the outcome of the national election in order for him to hang on to the White House.
“Meadows’s participation on the January 2, 2021 call was political in nature and involved the President’s private litigation, neither of which are related to the scope of the Office of White House Chief of Staff,” Jones wrote. “The Court finds that these contributions to the phone call with Secretary Raffensperger went beyond those activities that are within the official role of White House Chief of Staff, such as scheduling the President’s phone calls, observing meetings, and attempting to wrap up meetings in order to keep the President on schedule.”
While out on bond, Meadows can not have communication with any other co-defendant or witness about the facts of the case. He also can’t intimidate witnesses or co-defendants to “obstruct the administration of justice.”
Four other defendants including a former Justice Department official and three pro-Trump activists have also requested that their cases be removed from Georgia and transferred to federal court.
Those requests remain pending with Judge Jones.
About Post Author
