Mark Meadows Requests Judge to Move Arizona’s Fake Elector Case to Federal Court

In a Phoenix courtroom, a crucial hearing is set for Thursday regarding former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ attempt to transfer charges related to Arizona’s fake elector case to federal court.

Meadows has argued before a federal judge that the case should be moved to U.S. District Court on the basis that he was acting in his capacity as a federal official during his term as Trump’s chief of staff. He claims he is protected by the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which asserts that federal law takes precedence over state law.

The former chief of staff currently faces charges in both Arizona and Georgia concerning what state officials describe as a scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 election results in favor of Donald Trump. Last year, Meadows attempted to shift similar state charges to federal court in a related case in Georgia, but was unsuccessful.

The Arizona case, initiated by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office, contends that Meadows failed to meet the deadline for requesting such a transfer and argues that his actions were not part of his official White House duties.

While Meadows is not identified as a fake elector in Arizona, prosecutors allege that he collaborated with other members of Trump’s campaign to submit names of false electors from Arizona and several other states to Congress in an effort to challenge the results of the November 2020 election.

Notably, President Joe Biden secured a narrow victory in Arizona in 2020, winning by just 10,457 votes.

Last year, Meadows’ attempt to relocate his Georgia charges to federal jurisdiction was dismissed by a judge and subsequently upheld by an appeals court. He has since appealed this ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

The Arizona indictment also indicates that early in November 2020, Meadows confided to a White House staff member that Trump had indeed lost the election. The prosecution further claims that Meadows orchestrated discussions and meetings with state officials in relation to the alleged fake elector conspiracy.

Meadows, alongside other defendants, is also pursuing a dismissal of the case in Arizona.

In court documents, Meadows’ legal team contends that the actions attributed to him do not constitute criminal behavior. They describe the indictment as centered around messages he received from individuals trying to present ideas to Trump or seeking to update him on various legal efforts from the president’s campaign.

The Arizona fake electors case has seen 18 Republicans charged in late April, including a group of 11 who falsely claimed that Trump had won the state of Arizona, as well as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and four attorneys associated with the former president.

In a significant development in early August, Jenna Ellis, formerly one of Trump’s campaign attorneys and a close associate of Giuliani, entered into a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that resulted in her charges being dropped. Additionally, Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino became the first individual to be convicted in this Arizona case, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor and receiving a probation sentence.

Meadows and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty to various charges, including forgery, fraud, and conspiracy, in the Arizona case.

Although Trump himself has not been charged in Arizona, he is referenced in the indictment as an unindicted coconspirator.

On December 14, 2020, eleven individuals nominated as Arizona’s Republican electors gathered in Phoenix to sign a certificate asserting that they were the “duly elected and qualified” electors and that Trump had won the state in the 2020 election.

A brief video showing this signing ceremony was shared on social media by the Arizona Republican Party at that time. The document produced was later forwarded to Congress and the National Archives but was disregarded in the official processes.

Criminal charges related to the fake electors scheme have also been filed by prosecutors in other states, including Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin.