Meadows dismisses Willis’s Hatch Act accusation as a distraction.
Former White House Chief of Staff Rejects Accusations of Hatch Act Violation
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has firmly denied accusations from Fulton County, Georgia, prosecutors that he violated the Hatch Act while working on behalf of President Donald Trump during the 2020 election.
Ahead of a hearing on his bid to remove his state criminal case to federal court, Meadows dismissed District Attorney Fani Willis’s citation of a Hatch Act violation as a “red herring” that is irrelevant to a state-level court proceeding.
The Hatch Act, a federal law, prohibits members of the executive branch (excluding the president and vice president) from engaging in political activity.
Meadows’s Defense
Meadows’s counsel argues that just because Trump was involved in personal or political actions does not mean that Meadows, as an assistant or adviser, was also engaged in political or personal activities. The defense is relying on a long-standing federal statute that allows federal officials charged with state crimes to move their cases to federal court if the alleged criminal behavior was carried out as part of their official duties.
“Mr. Meadows need not prove that his conduct complied with federal law in retrospect; he is entitled to immunity because he acted in good faith to further what he understood to be his official duties,” Meadows’s counsel stated in a Friday filing.
The defense argues that any dispute regarding the Hatch Act should be addressed in federal court after the case is removed from the state level.
Prosecution’s Argument
In her filing, Willis contends that Meadows violated the Hatch Act by facilitating Trump’s efforts to challenge the election results in Georgia. She argues that Meadows’s activities were “unofficial” and beyond the scope of his official duties, and that he cannot cite any presidential authority to justify his actions.
U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones will consider the issue at an evidentiary hearing on Monday. In a separate order, Judge Jones has allowed members of the media to bring their laptops into the courtroom to document the hearing.
Willis has also issued subpoenas for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his former investigator Frances Watson to testify at the hearing. Meadows claims that his actions in arranging a meeting between Trump and these officials were within his role as chief of staff.
In a text message, Meadows asked Watson if there was a way to expedite signature verification in Fulton County, offering financial assistance from the Trump campaign, according to the indictment.
Meadows surrendered to authorities on Thursday and was granted a $100,000 bond. He has been charged with racketeering and solicitation of violation of oath of by a public officer. The case involves a total of 17 defendants, including Trump, who have been indicted.
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Meadows’s arrest comes after his unsuccessful attempt to delay surrendering himself. Judge Jones denied his request, along with a similar one from former Trump Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, and scheduled a hearing for Clark’s request on September 18.
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