WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the final blow to former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ efforts to move his Georgia election interference charges to federal court.
The justices did not give a reason for declining Meadows’ petition for review.
The 65-year-old asked the justices to reverse an appeals court ruling preventing his case from moving to federal court. The ex-chief of staff warned that without the justices’ intervention, states could weaponize their prosecutorial power against former federal officials.
In his Supreme Court petition, Meadows argued that he was wrongly criminally charged for actions taken while serving as a federal officer and should therefore be immune from state prosecution.
In the July petition, Meadows also argued that the justices’ recent endorsement of broad immunity for former presidents reinforced his immunity claim even though his service as chief of staff had ended.
“If former officers cannot remove at all, and if even a current chief of staff cannot remove a case arising out of acts taken in the White House in service of the president, then the floodgates are open, and ‘nightmare scenarios’ will not take long to materialize,” Meadows wrote.
Meadows was one of 18 individuals, including former President Donald Trump, indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in 2023 on charges of conspiring to unlawfully change the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia in favor of Trump.
A unanimous panel on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Meadows’ transfer bid in December, finding that his official authority did not extend to a conspiracy to overturn valid election results. Meadows’ appeal was initially due at the high court in May, but he was granted two extensions by Justice Clarence Thomas, a George H.W. Bush appointee.
Last month, that same court turned down similar requests from four of Meadows’ co-defendants to have their state criminal prosecutions moved to federal court.
The 11th Circuit ruled that Jeffrey Clark, David Shafer, Shawn Still, and Cathleen Latham are not entitled to removal under the federal-officer removal statute, because it doesn’t apply to former officers.
Tuesday’s decision by the high court not to hear Meadows’ challenge means that the circuit court’s ruling for the other defendants will also likely remain in place.
Under the indictment, Meadows faces two charges of conspiracy in violation of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law and soliciting an oath violation from a public officer.
Prosecutors claim Meadows was involved in meetings to advance election fraud in state legislatures. They also say Meadows facilitated Trump’s call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where the president pushed the election official to “find” enough votes to overturn Biden’s victory.
Meadows pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Trump and the 13 other remaining co-defendants have also pleaded not guilty, while four defendants pleaded guilty after reaching plea deals with prosecutors.
Much of the state election interference case remains on hold until the Georgia Court of Appeals determines whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified as lead prosecutor. The court is set to hear oral arguments on the appeal Dec. 5.
Even then, the fate of the prosecution is uncertain after Trump won reelection this month. He is the first former and soon-to-be sitting U.S. president to serve with a felony conviction and other pending criminal charges.
Despite the criminal charges he faces stemming from his service with Trump and their frayed relationship, Meadows congratulated the former president on his reelection victory last week on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The American people have demanded change — and I know President-elect Donald Trump is ready to deliver,” Meadows wrote in a post.