WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows a setback in his defense against 2020 election interference charges in Georgia, rejecting his attempt to move his case from state court to federal court.
His lawyers argued that the case should be transferred because he was acting “as a federal officer” at the time and could therefore claim immunity from prosecution.
The argument failed in the lower courts, with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals finding that because Meadows was no longer a federal official, the provision allowing the case to be transferred to federal court did not apply to him.
The appeals court also found that even if he had been deemed a federal officer, “the events leading up to this criminal action were not related to Meadows’ official duties.”
Meadows faces two charges in the sprawling Georgia election interference case over his role in efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty.
There are 18 other defendants, including Trump himself, who has also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
