Judge rejects trial relocation application by former Trump staffer Mark Meadows
The ex-chief of staff of the 45th US president has tried and failed for a second time to have the state charges moved to an alternare court.
A judge has rejected an application by former Trump staffer Mark Meadows to have so-called ‘fake elector’ charges moved out of state to a federal court.
Meadows was the chief of staff to former US president Donald Trump and is one of many accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election result in favour of Mr Trump.
Meadows faces charges in both Arizona and Georgia and has now been denied in both states to have the case escalated to a federal court.
Meadows claims his actions were whilst he was working in the capacity of the US president’s chief of staff and therefore as a federal official. but prosecutors say his electioneering efforts were not part of his official White House duties.
US district judge John Tuchi on Monday mirrored this in his ruling against Meadows, stating he had not proven his actions fell within the remit of a federal official. or presidential staffer.
Justice Tuchi also said Meadows had already missed the deadline to have the case moved either way.
In all, 18 Republicans were charged in late April in Arizona’s fake electors case.
Defendants include 11 Republicans who had submitted a document falsely claiming Mr Trump had won Arizona, another Trump aide and five lawyers connected to the former president.
Meadows and his fellow defendants are seeking a dismissal of the Arizona case, with some already successful.
Others have been rather less successful, with Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino becoming the first person to be convicted in connection to the scandal in Arizona.
Meadows and his fellow remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the forgery, fraud, and conspiracy charges with the Arizona indictment stating Meadows confessed to a White House staffer that Trump had lost the 2020 election.
Prosecutors also allege Meadows had arranged meetings and calls with state officials to discuss the fake elector conspiracy.
Meadows’ lawyers, however, told the Associated Press that nothing he has been accused of could be considered tantamount to criminal activity.
They said the indictment consists of allegations that he received messages from people trying to get ideas in front of Trump, or “seeking to inform Mr Meadows about the strategy and status of various legal efforts by the president’s campaign.”
Trump was not charged in Arizona, but the indictment does refer to him as an unindicted coconspirator.
