Appeals Court Rejects Mark Meadows' Bid to Move Election Interference Charges
Washington — A federal appeals court has denied former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' request to transfer the state election interference charges against him in Georgia to federal court.
A three-judge panel on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the decision made by a district judge in September, who ruled that Meadows must face the charges in state court. The district judge stated that Meadows failed to demonstrate that his alleged conduct was connected to his official duties during his time in the Trump administration.
In a 35-page opinion released on Monday, Chief Judge William Pryor wrote for the court, explaining that the statute allowing federal officials to move their cases to federal court from state court does not apply to former officers.
"Meadows, as a former chief of staff, is not considered a federal 'officer' under the removal statute," Pryor stated. "Furthermore, even if Meadows were an 'officer,' his alleged participation in a conspiracy to overturn a presidential election was unrelated to his official duties."
Meadows, who served as White House chief of staff during former President Donald Trump's tenure, is among the 18 individuals indicted in Fulton County in August. They are accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election in order to keep Trump in power. Four of the defendants have already pleaded guilty, while Meadows and the others have pleaded not guilty.
In a written statement, Pryor stated that Meadows' authority did not extend to participating in an alleged conspiracy to overturn the election results. He argued that the federal executive has limited authority in overseeing the administration of elections in the states, and the role of the White House chief of staff does not include influencing the outcome of the election.
