Mark Meadowsâ€s Arizona charges to stay in state court, federal judge rules

A judge has denied a request from Mark Meadows, who was Donald Trumpâ€s White House chief of staff, to move the Arizona election-subversion-related prosecution against him from state court to federal court.

The ruling Monday by U.S. District Court judge John J. Tuchi in the district of Arizona is a further setback for Meadows, who unsuccessfully tried the same legal maneuver a year ago in a separate election interference case in Georgia.

Meadows has pleaded not guilty to nine felonies related to his alleged role in trying to subvert Joe Bidenâ€s win in Arizona after the 2020 presidential election. He is one of 18 defendants indicted in April by a state grand jury, which determined that the defendants engaged in crimes including conspiracy, forgery and fraud when they tried to deliver the stateâ€s 11 electoral votes to Trump instead of Biden.

In Mondayâ€s ruling, the Arizona court found that Meadows had failed to “demonstrate that the conduct charged in the stateâ€s prosecution relates to his former color of office as Chief of Staff to the President.â€�

“Although the Court credits Mr. Meadowsâ€s theory that the Chief of Staff is responsible for acting as the Presidentâ€s gatekeeper, that conclusion does not create a causal nexus between Mr. Meadowsâ€s official authority and the charged conduct,â€� the court concluded.

Meadowsâ€s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

In both the Georgia and Arizona cases, Meadows had hoped a move to the federal court could lead to a quick dismissal of the case against him on the basis that as a federal officer he was immune from prosecution for acts taken in the course of his normal work.

“Mr. Meadows has the right to remove this matter because he has a federal defense of Supremacy Clause immunity to the State charge and Congress has provided that federal courts are the appropriate forum to adjudicate such issues,� his attorneys said in a July 26 motion. “The conduct giving rise to the charges in the indictment all occurred during his tenure and as part of his service as White House Chief of Staff.�

In the Georgia case, Meadows has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court ruling that rejected claims that his alleged conduct was tied to his official federal duties.

Sanchez reported from Phoenix.