(DailyVantage.com) – Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff for Donald Trump’s administration, is seeking to dismiss the criminal charges against him, arguing that the alleged criminal acts occurred while he was a federal official and should be immune to prosecution. Meadows is among the 18 people charged alongside Donald Trump in the state of Georgia, all accused of aiding the former president’s failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
Meadows participated in a phone call between Donald Trump and the Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, where Trump allegedly demanded Kemp “find” more votes within Georgia to guarantee a victory for Republicans. Georgia ended up voting for President Joe Biden during the election. It was a critical battleground state that Republicans lost to Democrats during Donald Trump’s failed initial re-election bid.
Meadows filed a 37-page document following the federal indictment, which cited the Supremacy Clause, which protects federal officials from prosecution for committing acts that reasonably come with their office, and the 1st and 14th Amendments in the United States Constitution. Despite Meadows’s wish for dismissal, the criminal case against the former chief of staff will likely play out in court should a plea deal not be reached between Meadows and the prosecution.
Meadows might reach a plea agreement with prosecutors by testifying against Donald Trump, as Meadows has already implicated Trump in a separate federal case against the former president. The case in question relates to Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. Meadows claims he doesn’t remember Trump ever attempting to “declassify” the documents, raising concerns that Meadows hindered a potential defense for Donald Trump.
Meadows’s chances of dismissing federal charges remain unlikely, as Trump is facing similar charges in multiple states that will remain active. Meadows is one of 18 other people indicted alongside the former president for an alleged attempt at overturning the 2020 election, meaning that some other indicted officials might strike a deal in exchange for immunity. The prosecution will be keen to hear Meadows’s testimony, as he directly participated in a call that contributed to the indictment. While Meadows would be a key witness, any cooperation with federal authorities in the criminal case is unclear.
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