US Supreme Court Rejects Meadows' Request to Move Case

Facts

• The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request from lawyers for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to review a lower court's decision preventing Meadows from moving his case to federal court.^[1]
• Meadows, who argues the case should be heard in federal court because it relates to his job in the first administration of Pres.-elect Donald Trump, was among 19 people indicted by Georgia prosecutors over the alleged illegal plan to overturn in Trump's favor the 2020 presidential election results in that state.^[2]
• The Supreme Court issued a one-sentence order without any dissents. Previously, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled Meadows wasn't a federal official when he took the actions in question, and if he had still been part of the government his actions were 'not related to his official duties.'^[3]
• Trump was also among those indicted in Georgia, but his lawyers are expected to make his defense using a recent Supreme Court ruling that prohibits prosecuting a president for official acts while in office.^[4]
• This case has been on hold while a Georgia appeals court continues weighing whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from prosecuting this case because of her relationship with the special prosecutor who had been leading the case.^[5][6]

Sources: ^[1]USA Today, ^[2]Associated Press, ^[3]NPR Online News, ^[4]The Hill, ^[5]CBS and ^[6]Atlantanewsfirst.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. Meadows is getting desperate to avoid the long arm of justice, but he's finding out the hard way that his association with Trump will probably be a ticket to prison. The Supreme Court ruled Trump has immunity for official acts, but neither the justices nor Trump seem to care much for Trump's associates, who are facing similar criminal charges. It's time for Meadows' team to move to Plan B.
• Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Democrats' lawfare against Trump and his associates didn't prevent the former president from getting reelected, but it's unfortunately still affecting those who were close to Trump in his first term. Meadows, though, shouldn't have much to worry about. Luckily, Willis seems incapable of successfully prosecuting this case — if her conflict of interest doesn't get her removed before it moves forward.