Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision rejecting his bid to move his Georgia election interference criminal case to federal court.
A three-judge panel of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled last month that Meadows could not move his case to federal court because the conduct at issue in the indictment against him was unrelated to his official duties as chief of staff.
Now Meadows is asking the appeals court to rehear the case en banc, meaning the case would be heard by the full court. Should the court decline to rehear the case, Meadows could appeal last month’s decision to the US Supreme Court.
“The panel’s decision is profoundly wrong – it defies text, precedent, and common sense – and profoundly consequential,” attorneys for Meadows wrote in a filing Tuesday evening.
“While courts struggle with whether tobacco companies and health insurers can remove, a White House Chief of Staff facing a local prosecutor’s indictment based on actions taken in the West Wing should not be a close call,” the attorneys wrote.
Moving the case to federal court could allow Meadows to get the charges dismissed altogether by invoking federal immunity extended to certain individuals who are prosecuted or sued for conduct tied to their US government roles.
