A federal judge on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows' attempt to move his 2020 Arizona election fraud case to federal court. Meadows had argued that his actions in Arizona were within his “official duties” as Trump's aide.
The former White House Chief of Staff was indicted earlier this year along with 17 other Trump allies for their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in several states where President Joe Biden won the popular vote. In Arizona, judges alleged Meadows worked with Trump campaign members to submit names of fake electors in attempt to certify a false win for Trump.
U.S. District Judge John Tuchi ruled that Meadow’s charges, which include conspiracy and forgery, were completely “unrelated” to his official duties as chief of staff, making his argument for the case to be moved irrelevant. He also noted that Meadows’ “untimely” request was past the deadline to move a case to federal court.
“Although the Court credits Mr. Meadows’s theory that the Chief of Staff is responsible for acting as the President’s gatekeeper, that conclusion does not create a causal nexus between Mr. Meadows’s official authority and the charged conduct,” Tuchi wrote in the 15-page ruling.
“Mr. Meadows has not so much removed the State’s indictment as rewritten it,” he added.
In August 2023, Meadows was indicted on similar charges for his election subversion efforts in Georgia, where President Joe Biden won by 12,670 votes.
Meadows also tried to move that case, but a judge denied his request in September 2023.
