First details of anti-racketeering case against Trump and co-defendants to be revealed in court hearing

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to present details of her anti-racketeering case against former President Donald Trump, his chief of staff Mark Meadows, and 17 other co-defendants on Monday. This will mark the first substantive arguments made in court regarding the four criminal cases filed against Trump this year. The hearing centers around Meadows’ motion to move the case to federal court and potentially have it dismissed. However, the hearing could act as a mini-trial that shapes the future of Fulton County’s case against Trump. Willis is expected to preview the evidence and legal arguments for why Trump and his allies allegedly broke the law when pressuring Georgia election officials during the 2020 election. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, along with other individuals involved in the case, has been subpoenaed to testify at the hearing. Several defendants, including Meadows, have requested to move their cases to federal court, arguing that they were acting at Trump’s direction. Meadows claims that the charges against him in Georgia should be dismissed under a federal immunity claim. If US District Judge Steve Jones grants Meadows’ request to move the case to federal court, it does not guarantee the dismissal of the charges. The judge will need to decide whether Meadows’ arguments are valid. Legal experts note the rarity of such cases being moved from state to federal court in criminal proceedings, making it uncertain territory for Judge Jones. Meadows argues that his conduct was part of his duties as a close White House adviser to Trump. Willis is using the federal law known as the Hatch Act to argue that Meadows was engaged in political activity prohibited by government officials, thus disqualifying him from federal immunity. The hearing is expected to feature key witnesses, including Raffensperger and Frances Watson, the chief investigator in the Georgia secretary of state’s office. Willis also subpoenaed two lawyers who were on the Trump-Raffensperger phone call on Trump’s behalf. The judge is known for handling the proceedings efficiently and adhering to relevant statutes and case law. However, the hearing could still produce significant moments. The central question remains whether Meadows and Trump were acting in their federal positions or as candidates during the pressure campaign on Georgia election officials.