In a win for Georgia prosecutors, a judge rejected the efforts of former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to move his Georgia racketeering case to federal court. The case centers around the efforts of former President Donald Trump and his allies to subvert the results of the 2020 election in the state of Georgia and elsewhere. Meadows—facing felony charges of racketeering and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer—sought to kick his case to federal court in a move that could have seen him be tried by a more favorable jury pool. Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia shot down that prospect Friday, writing that “there is no federal jurisdiction over the criminal case. The outcome of this case will be for a Fulton County judge and trier of fact to ultimately decide.” Meadows quickly filed an appeal with the 11th Circuit seeking to have the decision overturned. Trump himself teased the notion he may also attempt to move his case to federal court, a move that even if unsuccessful could work to delay proceedings.
