Today's recap
We’re wrapping up our live blog for the day, but will continue to bring updates on the Guardian’s home page. Here’s a recap of what’s happened today, in the aftermath of the late-night indictment in Georgia unveiling criminal charges against Donald Trump and 18 codefendants over efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The 98-page indictment handed down by a Fulton county grand jury includes 41 counts of crimes, including 13 against Trump. It details lies the former president and his co-defendants told the public in an effort to keep him in power.
The charges were brought via Georgia’s Rico act, which has typically been used to go after the mafia.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former White House chief of staff and one of his codefendants in Georgia, has filed to move the case into federal court – something that Trump himself is expected to replicate in an effort to seek a friendlier jury and land a judge that he appointed.
Another codefendant, John Eastman, who is considered one of the main architects of Trump’s strategy to overturn the 2020 election, also plans to fight the indictment.
Brian Kemp, the Republican governor of Georgia, responded to Donald Trump’s announcement that he would present an “irrefutable report” on election fraud in Georgia on Monday by saying: “The 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen.”
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, made a brief statement saying: “The most basic principles of a strong democracy are accountability and respect for the Constitution and rule of law. You either have it, or you don’t.”
Republican politicians, including candidates for the presidency in 2024, are seeking to defend Donald Trump over the indictment in Georgia.
Hillary Clinton said she did not “feel any satisfaction” about Donald Trump’s extreme legal predicament and instead felt “great profound sadness”
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In the separate federal case over Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, Carlos de Oliveira, the property manager of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, pleaded not guilty to multiple obstruction-related offenses.
– Guardian staff
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Mark Meadows files to move Fulton county case to federal court
Mark Meadows, one of 19 people including Donald Trump who were criminally charged over efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, has filed to move the case into federal court.
Meadows served as White House chief of staff under Trump. His lawyers have filed the petition to go from state to the US district court for the northern district of Georgia, arguing for the switch based on the idea that the charges stem from Meadows conduct in his capacity as an officer of the federal government.
Trump is expected to make a similar move, which would allow him to seek a potentially friendlier jury pool and the chance of landing a judge that he appointed.
“Nothing Mr. Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se: arranging Oval Office meetings, contacting state officials on the President’s behalf, visiting a state government building, and setting up a phone call for the President,” Terwilliger wrote in the filing.
The filing also indicates that Meadows plans to file a motion to dismiss the state’s case.
