Supreme Court keeps Mark Meadows’ election interference case in Georgia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the appointment of Trump’s former White House chief of staff. Mark Meadows He would take the election interference lawsuit filed against him in Georgia to federal court, where he claimed he was immune from prosecution.

As is typical, the justices did not elaborate on their reasoning in a brief order dismissing his appeal. There was no publicly expressed opposition.

Meadows was one of 19 A lawsuit was filed in Georgia and was accused of participating in an illegal scheme to protect the then-president Donald Trump He came to power after losing the 2020 election. Trump has also been impeached, but after he was re-elected to a second term last week, any prosecution seems unlikely, at least during his time in office. Both men denied wrongdoing.

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Meadows will continue to maintain his innocence in state court and expects to receive an acquittal, attorney George Terwilliger said.

It’s unclear what impact the election results will have on the other defendants in the case, which is largely on hold after the appeals court agreed to review. whether it will be removed or not Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired to prosecute the case.

Meadows had gone to the Supreme Court in an attempt to remove the charges from Georgia courts. He argues that the case should be heard in federal court because it relates to his duties as a federal official. To support his claim, he pointed to the Supreme Court’s decision granting Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

“A White House chief of staff facing criminal charges for his actions related to his work on behalf of the president of the United States should not be an imminent decision, especially at a time when this court has recognized that federal immunity affects not only what evidence is considered, but also what evidence is considered,” his attorneys said. He wrote about what behavior can form the basis of responsibility.

But prosecutors said Meadows did not show that he was performing official duties during the alleged scheme, including participating in a phone call in which Trump suggested he could help Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “find” the votes he needed to win the state.

They argued that the case should remain in Georgia courts and that Meadows could step up the federal defense there. Prosecutors also countered that the charges could have adverse effects on other federal officials.

“His editorial references to overheated remarks cannot be sufficient to suggest that a new era of prosecution of former federal officials everywhere is upon us,” government lawyers wrote.

A U.S. district judge and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided that this was the case The case against Meadows and some of his co-defendants should remain in state court. There’s a federal judge also refused Bringing the Arizona fake voter case against him to federal court.

Four people in the Georgia election case had already pleaded guilty after reaching agreements with prosecutors. The remaining 15 people, including Trump and Meadows, did not admit their guilt.

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