Donald Trump has been hit with a legal setback after a judge refused to move an election interference case to federal court.
Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had been hoping to move his Arizona election interference case to federal court, where he could then claim immunity from prosecution.
In April, a grand jury indicted Meadows and 17 other Trump supporters for allegedly conspiring to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory in Arizona. The 58-page indictment accuses the individuals of acting as fake electors or working to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results. Meadows pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 13, 2024. Trump is facing election interference charges before a Washington, D.C court.
Patrick Fallon/Getty Images
Separately, Trump was indicted in Washington, D.C on four counts of allegedly working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The Republican presidential nominee has pleaded not guilty and has said the case is part of a political witch hunt.
The Washington, D.C trial judge Tanya Chutkan is currently considering how to proceed after the Supreme Court ruled on July 1 that Trump’s presidential actions would have broad immunity from prosecution for presidential acts.
Her decision could be affected by Monday’s decision by an Arizona federal judge.
Liberal-leaning attorney and legal analyst Norm Eisen wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday that Meadows’ loss was bad news for Trump.
“Big loss for former Trump WH CoS Mark Meadows in Az, where he was trying to remove his state criminal case to federal court. DENIED because his 2020 coup conduct was unofficial. Suggests Trump’s coup activity in his DC criminal case was also unofficial—& so not immune!” he wrote.
New York University law professor Ryan Goodman wrote that a federal court “rejecting Mark Meadows’ removal claim in Arizona signals how the DC court will most likely reject Trump’s immunity claim.”
In Arizona, Judge John Tuchi ruled that election interference was not part of Meadows’ official duties as a federal employee, and he could therefore not transfer his case to federal court.
“The State’s charged conduct is unrelated to Mr. Meadows’s official duties,” Tuchi ruled.
“Although the court credits Mr. Meadows’ theory that the chief of staff is responsible for acting as the president’s gatekeeper, that conclusion does not create a causal nexus between Mr. Meadows’ official authority and the charged conduct,” Tuchi wrote in his 15-page ruling.
Newsweek sought email comment for attorneys for Meadows and Trump on Tuesday.
Tuchi also rejected Meadows’ claim that he was simply checking what was going on as Trump disputed the 2020 election result.
“Contrary to Mr. Meadows’ reframing of the indictment, he is not being prosecuted for receiving text messages intended to simply keep him ‘apprised of what was happening’ with the Trump campaign,” Tuchi ruled.
