Mark Meadows, the embattled former Chief of Staff to former President Donald Trump, will be the first co-defendant in a Georgia election interference case to see whether his trial will be moved out of the hands of the local prosecutor and into federal courts.
The fate of Meadows, who was indicted alongside President Trump and 17 other alleged co-conspirators, is petitioning U.S. District Judge Steve Jones to move his case to the federal court system where he has indicated he will plan to seek dismissal based on immunity granted by Trump before he left office. The decision by Jones would have massive implications for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis who has staked her career and political future on prosecuting Trump and his allies for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 election.
Judge Jones held a hearing last Monday and later asked both sides to submit written arguments to the question whether alleged crimes committed by Meadows under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) law could be dismissed by a U.S. president.
Legal experts told The Hill that Jones’s request for additional arguments is a sign that he thinks Meadows may have the stronger defense