Meadows court hearing tests Willis’s Trump RICO case.
Mark Meadows Fights to Move Charges to Federal Court
Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff for President Donald Trump, is set to appear before a judge on Monday to argue that the charges against him in Georgia should be moved from state to federal court. Meadows is one of 19 co-defendants facing felony racketeering charges for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election. The hearing will take place before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones in Atlanta.
What’s Next for Trump?
As the first defendant to make this case, Meadows’s hearing will be closely watched. If successful, it could set a precedent for the other co-defendants, including Trump himself. Meadows’s attorneys argue that the charges against him are directly related to his role as Chief of Staff during the Trump administration, making federal removal appropriate.
Meadows is not the only co-defendant seeking federal removal. Four others have also filed notices, including Trump. The outcome of Meadows’s hearing could provide insight into how the other defendants may fare.
If federal removal is granted, it would not dismiss the state charges against Meadows. However, it would allow for a wider pool of jurors to be selected from outside of Fulton County, which is predominantly Democrat. The case would be heard before a federal judge, and federal court rules would apply, potentially resulting in a non-televised trial.
For Trump, a successful move to federal court would not change his inability to pardon himself of state charges if he were reelected. Georgia has an independent board that grants pardons, but they can only be granted five years after completing a sentence.
Meadows has been proactive in seeking federal removal, even filing an emergency motion to prevent his arrest. However, the motion was denied, and he voluntarily turned himself in at Fulton County jail. He was released on $100,000 bond the same day.
In the indictment against Meadows, District Attorney Fani Willis highlighted his involvement in the infamous phone call between Trump and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump asked to “find 11,780 votes” to secure a win in Georgia’s election. Meadows also sent a text message inquiring about expediting signature verification in Fulton County.
Willis has subpoenaed Raffensperger, lead investigator Frances Watson, and two others familiar with the phone call in preparation for the hearing. She argues that Meadows’s attempt to move the case to federal court demonstrates his disregard for his official duties, as governed by the Hatch Act.
Meadows, however, dismisses this argument as a “red herring” and believes it does not justify a state-level trial.
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