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Trump gives up bid to have Georgia election interference case moved to federal court [1]

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Date: 2023-09-28  

Earlier this month, Donald Trump hinted he might try to have the case charging him with attempting to steal Georgia’s electoral votes moved from a Georgia state court to a federal court. Well, on late Thursday afternoon, Trump made a smart legal decision for one of the few times in recent memory. He announced via a legal filing that he was dropping any plans to have the trial moved to federal court.

The filing comes weeks after the former president's attorneys notified Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, that he might attempt to pursue a federal venue. "This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia," Trump attorney Steven Sadow wrote.

The NBC News headline erroneously says this filing was “unexpected.” But any chance Trump may have had of escaping the clutches of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis ended when a federal judge in Atlanta slapped down former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ attempt to move his case to federal court. There is no conceivable scenario in which Trump or any member of his administration could have claimed the actions spelled out in Willis’ indictment fell within the scope of the duties of their respective offices.

This situation is a reminder that by nearly all accounts, the prosecution in Georgia poses the greatest threat legally to Trump, even though it is arguably the most politically loaded of the three major felony indictments he faces. It initially looked like Trump wanted the trial moved out of Georgia because the president’s pardon power has no standing regarding state charges. But, it turns out, a pardon wouldn’t be possible even if the trial were removed. ((h/t Dooey)

Moreover, a convicted criminal in Georgia can only seek a pardon five years after they complete their sentences—and the decision rests in the hands of an independent board.

Given Trump’s history, this filing makes it all the more likely that he will face accountability for one of the few times in his life.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/28/2196154/-Trump-gives-up-bid-to-have-Georgia-election-interference-case-moved-to-federal-court

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