The Supreme Court handed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis a minor victory. On Nov. 14, the highest court in the land declined to hear an appeal from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to have the election interference case moved from Fulton County to federal court.
Meadows is one of 18 people indicted in Georgia by Willis on charges that they illegally conspired to keep then-President Trump in office after he lost the 2020 election. The RICO case centers around the 2020 election probe when Trump asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during a phone call to help him secure over 11,000 votes, the amount in which he trailed Joe Biden in Georgia.
Meadows argued that due to him being a federal officer during the alleged crimes, the case should be taken to a federal court. The move to federal court would have given Meadows a more favorable jury pool and the possibility of being pardoned by president-elect Trump.
Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision to decline to hear Meadow’s appeal, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that Meadows is no longer a federal official and his actions were “not related to his official duties.”
During his initial arrest in 2023, Meadows made headlines for his attempt to have his case moved to federal court due to claims that his alleged crime occurred while he served in the White House under Trump.
However, a judge immediately denied Meadows request and Willis would not agree to an extension to his arrest date. He was formally charged with racketeering and soliciting a violation of an oath by a public officer.
While out on bond, Meadows can not have communication with any other co-defendant or witness about the facts of the case. He also can’t intimidate witnesses or co-defendants “obstruct the administration of justice.”
But as Trump prepares to head back to the White House, Willis continues to prepare for the election interference trial.
On Oct. 16, Willis asked Georgia’s Court of Appeals to reinstate six criminal charges against Trump and five others who are his co-defendants. The six counts that were dismissed center around alleged act that Trump and his cohorts urged others to violate their oath of office, but the indictment should add further details of the actual office that was violated, Judge McAfee stated in March.
While Meadows and his co-defendants are likely to face a trial in 2025, it’s unlikely that Trump will be punished for his alleged crimes if convicted.
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