Aug 28, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Meadows court hearing could reveal Easter egg in Georgia indictment

Mike Allen

Former President Trump on Sunday offered mug shot posters with "MY SIGNATURE IN GOLD" for a $35 donation to his campaign. Image: Trump campaign

A federal judge in Atlanta will hear arguments Monday from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to move his racketeering case to federal court from Fulton County, Ga.

Why it matters: Meadows argues that his actions in the indictment were tied to his federal duties. Former President Trump is also expected to request such a move. That could give him a more favorable jury pool, since more suburbs would be included.

Yes, but: Anthony Michael Kreis, an assistant law professor at Georgia State University, tells the N.Y. Times that the indictment may contain an Easter egg that could spoil that argument.

The indictment says the election interference lasted into September 2021, when Trump — out of office for eight months — asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to decertify the election "and announce the true winner."
"By showing the racketeering enterprise continued well beyond his time in office," Kreis told the Times, "it undercuts any argument that Trump was acting in a governmental capacity."

The big picture: Monday's court hearing also gives Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis the chance to offer the first real glimpse of the evidence and legal arguments she plans to use in the case against Trump and his 18-codefendants, per CNN.

Go deeper: What's next for Trump in the Georgia case

Add Axios on Google

Meadows court hearing could reveal Easter egg in Georgia indictment

What to read next