Mark Meadows, one of the 18 other people criminally charged in Georgia alongside former President Donald Trump for their efforts to unlawfully overturn the 2020 election, filed Tuesday to shift the case into federal court. Meadows, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, was charged with racketeering and solicitation of violation of oath by public officer in a sprawling indictment. In a 14-page petition in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Meadows’ attorneys argued that he had the right to be tried in a different court because his alleged criminal activity “all occurred during his tenure and as part of his service as Chief of Staff.” Going further, his lawyers went on to insist, “Nothing Mr. Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se: arranging Oval Office meetings, contacting state officials on the President’s behalf, visiting a state government building, and setting up a phone call for the President. One would expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to do these sorts of things.” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who said late Monday that she intends to try all 19 co-defendants together, is expected to push back against the petition.
