Judge Jones Denies Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ Request to Move Election Interference Case to Federal Court

A federal judge has denied former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ request to move his criminal case to federal court. The case, brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, charges Meadows and former President Donald Trump with election interference.

The ruling was issued by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones on Friday after a five-hour hearing in Atlanta federal court. During the hearing, Meadows argued that his alleged involvement in pressuring state leaders to overturn the 2020 election results was part of his official duties as a government official.

However, Judge Jones disagreed, ruling that Meadows’ alleged involvement in Trump’s effort to reverse his loss “was not related to his role as White House Chief of Staff or his executive branch authority.” Meadows was represented by attorney and former Department of Justice official George Terwilliger.

The ruling means that the case will remain in Fulton County court, where Meadows and Trump face charges of election interference. The case is part of a sweeping investigation by Willis into allegations of election fraud and interference in the 2020 election.

Meadows and Trump have both denied any wrongdoing. It is unclear at this time what the next steps in the case will be.