Staff Reports
Mark Meadows, former chief of staff for ex-President Donald Trump, made his case in a federal court on Monday, arguing that the charges against him in the Georgia election case should be moved from state to federal court. This hearing is a crucial test for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s case against Trump and his allies.
Meadows spent nearly three hours on the witness stand, passionately asserting that all of his actions following the 2020 election had a “federal nexus.” He believes that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits state interference in his duties as a federal official.
Fani Willis, however, opposes Meadows’s motion. She argues that Meadows was not acting in his capacity as a federal official and that his actions would have violated the Hatch Act, which requires federal officials to separate their official work from campaigning.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows arrives at federal court in Atlanta for a hearing to try to have his Georgia election interference case moved from state to federal court. pic.twitter.com/fnx7DX5fZX
— Lalee Ibssa (@LaleeIbssa) August 28, 2023
Meadows was relentless in his pursuit of federal removal, being the first co-defendant among the five to do so. He even filed an emergency motion to prevent his arrest, citing his rights to removal. However, his motion was denied, and he voluntarily turned himself in to Fulton County jail and was subsequently released on bail.
The implications of this hearing go beyond Meadows alone. Former President Trump, who is considered the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, is expected to try to move his case to federal court as well. A trial in federal court would potentially be more favorable for Trump, with a jury selection from a less “blue” area than Fulton County. Additionally, a federal judge would preside over the trial, and the proceedings would not be televised.
This hearing also sheds light on the broader case against Meadows and other co-defendants. Willis has subpoenaed key individuals, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was present on the phone call where Trump asked him to “find” enough votes to change the Georgia election outcome.
As this story unfolds, it remains to be seen how the court will rule and how it will impact Trump and other defendants.
