Mark Meadows said his actions in Georgia in the aftermath of the 2020 election were part of his duties as Donald Trump’s chief of staff during a three-hour testimony before a federal judge in Atlanta on Monday.
Meadows took the witness stand to try to move his racketeering case from Fulton County to federal court so he could get a more diverse jury pool.
He is one of 19 defendants, including Trump, charged with overturning Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Meadows defended his actions at the first major prosecution hearing brought forward by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
On the witness stand, he denied two acts included in the 41 indictment, including one accusing him of asking White House personnel officer John McEntee to draft a memo to Vice President Mike Pence in which he instructed him on how to delay the certification of the election.
Former Donald Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows (pictured) arrived at the Fulton County courthouse Monday morning to take the witness stand in an effort to move his 2020 election subversion case from Georgia to federal court
“When this came out in the indictment, it was the biggest surprise to me,” Meadows testified Monday.
He later said, “My asking Johnny McEntee for this kind of memo just didn’t happen.”
Meadows’ attorney, George J. Terwilliger III, asked the former top aide about his duties as Trump’s chief of staff. He then listed the acts charged in the indictment and asked Meadows if he had done them as part of his job.
For most of the acts listed, Meadows said he performed them as part of his official duty, and his lawyers argued that none of the acts were criminal.
It was unclear when Judge Jones plans to make a decision on whether or not to move the case.
Meadows arrived at the Fulton County Courthouse Monday morning in his bid to move his 2020 election subversion case to federal court.
DailyMail.com captured Meadows walking in with his lawyers ahead of a crucial hearing that could have major ramifications for his old boss.
He is one of 18 Trump co-defendants charged with racketeering for attempting to “find the votes” to overturn Georgia’s results.
The confrontation with the judge is the first major trial in the racketeering case and forms the basis for Trump’s arraignment on September 6.
Meadows and his attorneys want his case moved out of Fulton County so he can have a more diverse jury pool.
Meadows’ legal team believes he would not receive a fair trial before a panel from heavily Democratic Fulton County.
He also argues that the case should be moved and then dismissed, as he has immunity from prosecution for performing duties as a federal official.
Lawyers for the former president sat in court during Meadows’ testimony. Trump attorney Steve Sadow (right) steps out of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday
Meadows, Trump’s last White House chief of staff, is one of 18 co-defendants named in the Fulton County indictment alleging an organized scheme to illegally alter the results of the 2020 presidential election. Pictured: Meadows’ mugshot was released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office after turning himself over for a booking in Atlanta last week
Trump has not tried to move his case, but legal experts say he likely will in the coming weeks.
He has denied wrongdoing, saying the criminal case — one of four he faces — is part of a “witch hunt” to prevent him from retaking the White House in the November 2024 election.
While Meadows appears in court in Georgia, Trump’s lawyers are in DC to argue that his January 6 trial should be postponed until after the 2024 election.
They have proposed that the federal process begin in April 2026, nearly two years after Americans went to the polls.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan will weigh the claims of Trump’s lawyers and Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office — who want the trial to begin in January 2024.
State law would still apply if the case is referred to federal court. The president — including Trump if elected — could not pardon any of the defendants.
Prosecutors alleged in a massive 41-count indictment filed in early August that Trump and his supporters knowingly attempted to undermine the election results in Georgia, a crucial state that can pass to either side but was won by Biden.
Prosecutors say Meadows furthered the alleged scheme by staging phone calls and rallies where Trump pressured election officials to turn the vote count in his favor.
Meadows and his attorneys want his case moved out of Fulton County so he can have a more diverse jury pool
Meadows’ legal team believes he would not receive a fair trial before a panel from heavily Democratic Fulton County
The hearing is the first major racketeering trial and forms the basis for Trump’s Sept. 6 arraignment
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger arrives at the Richard B. Russell Federal Court to testify at the Meadows hearing
Legal experts have warned that Donald Trump is unlikely to face trial in any of his four criminal cases before the general election.
The allegation was aired by three separate attorneys on Sunday, hours before an Atlanta prosecutor will provide the first details of her extensive anti-racketeering case against the former president, as well as 18 other co-defendants, including Meadows.
Among those discussing the slim chance that Trump would face trial in that case — or others in New York, Florida, and Washington, D.C., for that matter — was Harvard Law’s Alan Dershowitz, one of the leading voices on U.S. constitutional law. straight.
In multiple interviews this week, he said state and federal officials’ strategy in filing these cases stems from a desire to get a speedy trial that would hurt Trump’s chances — even if the charges don’t hold up or are overturned. an appeal is reversed.
Dershowitz’s comments — including claims that the politician has been deliberately convicted in jurisdictions overwhelmingly against him — were echoed by several others, all of whom said Trump is unlikely to face the music in time.
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