Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows is seeking to move the criminal case brought against him in Georgia state court to a federal court, the first such attempt since the Fulton County district attorney charged both men and 17 others with conspiracy.
A notice of removal was filed in federal court in Atlanta on Tuesday, arguing the case should be moved because it relates to alleged conduct that occurred while Meadows was a government employee. The case accuses the group of conspiring to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election.
“The conduct giving rise to the charges in the indictment all occurred during his tenure and as part of his service as Chief of Staff,” a lawyer for Meadows said in the filing in federal court in Georgia. “In these circumstances, federal law provides for prompt removal” of criminal cases stemming from such work, he said.
Jeff DiSantis, a spokesman for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.