Federal Judge Rejects Mark Meadows’ Bid to Move Criminal Case to Federal Court
A federal judge has dealt a blow to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows by rejecting his attempt to move his criminal case to federal court. This decision is not only a setback for Meadows but also raises concerns for former President Donald Trump.
US District Court Judge Steve Jones made the ruling, stating that Meadows failed to meet the “quite low” threshold for removal to federal court. According to Jones, Meadows’ activities for the Trump campaign were outside the scope of his federal role as White House chief of staff.
In his decision, Jones wrote, “The Court finds that the color of the Office of the White House Chief of Staff did not include working with or working for the Trump campaign, except for simply coordinating the President’s schedule, traveling with the President to his campaign events, and redirecting communications to the campaign.”
The ruling has significant implications for Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Fulton County district attorney’s racketeering case. Meadows was the first of five defendants who had filed motions to move the case to federal court, and it is expected that Trump will do the same.
Meadows argued that his case should be moved because the allegations in the indictment were connected to his official duties as White House chief of staff. However, the judge disagreed, citing the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal officials from engaging in political activity as part of their official duties, as helpful in defining the limits of Meadows’ authority.
“These prohibitions on executive branch employees (including the White House Chief of Staff) reinforce the Court’s conclusion that Meadows has not shown how his actions relate to the scope of his federal executive branch office. Federal officer removal is thereby inapposite,” the judge stated.
Meadows’ lawyers had hoped to get the case dismissed altogether by moving it to federal court and invoking federal immunity extended to certain individuals prosecuted or sued for conduct tied to their US government roles. The judge’s decision could now impact the other defendants seeking to move their cases and invoke the same federal immunity protections.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided.