Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has officially requested to move the case brought against him by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from state court to federal court. This request follows closely after Meadows, along with former President Donald Trump and 17 others, was indicted for charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the election results in the state.
Meadows’ legal representatives, attorney George Terwilliger and Atlanta-based attorney Joseph Englert, submitted the request. They are citing a federal law that mandates the transfer of criminal proceedings from state courts to the federal court system when an individual is charged for actions they allegedly undertook as a federal official, acting “under color” of their office.
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There is an expectation that Trump will also adopt a similar approach, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The filing emphasizes that the actions attributed to Meadows in the indictment are not inherently criminal. These actions encompass arranging Oval Office meetings, interacting with state officials on behalf of the President, visiting state government buildings, and facilitating phone calls for the President. Terwilliger noted, “It is natural to expect a Chief of Staff to the President of the United States to fulfill such responsibilities.”
Terwilliger further stated, “This aligns precisely with the kind of state interference in the duties of a federal official that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits, and which the removal statute guards against.” Moreover, the submission indicates that Meadows intends to file a motion to dismiss the indictment entirely. Nevertheless, transferring the case to federal court would effectively “pause the proceedings against Mr. Meadows in the state court.”