Current:Home > FinanceTrump may try to have his Georgia election interference case removed to federal court -GlobalInvest
Trump may try to have his Georgia election interference case removed to federal court
View
Date:2025-04-19 01:22:01
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump have notified Georgia state court in Fulton County that they may seek to remove his election interference case to federal court, according to a court filing.
If Trump seeks removal to federal court, he would be the sixth defendant in District Attorney Fani Willis' sweeping racketeering case to do so, joining former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark, former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, current Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer.
Meadows' motion for removal, filed on Aug. 15 by his attorney George Terwilliger and Atlanta-based attorney Joseph Englert, is based on a federal law that they argue requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting "under color" of their office.
MORE: Why Trump, other Georgia defendants might try to get cases removed to federal court
Shafer, in a separate filing Thursday, accused one of the lead prosecutors in the case of an "improper communication" with him after he was charged -- and is requesting an evidentiary hearing and sanctions on the matter.
Shafer, who was one of Trump's so-called "fake electors" in the alleged election interference plot, claims in the filing that the private law firm of Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade sent a mailer to his home essentially offering him representation by the firm of the prosecutor that indicted him.
The filing says the front of the brochure sent to Shafer's home "features a photo of Special Prosecutor Wade and [his partner] smiling." The inside, the filing states, directs Shafer to "please contact us today to discuss your criminal case."
The filing also says that the mailer included a letter with Shafer's name on it, written by special prosecutor Wade's partner, with the subject "IMPERSONATING A PUBLIC OFFICER"-- the very charge that Shafer faces in the indictment.
Shafer's attorney, Craig Gillen, says in the filing that the mailer is in "violation of the anti-contact provision," but claims that it is "far more egregious than a typical violation of the rule, given the fact that it constitutes a communication with a criminal defendant by the lead prosecuting attorney's law firm regarding charges in which the attorney has been responsible for bringing."
The filing asks the judge in the case to hold an evidentiary hearing on the matter.
The Fulton County district attorney's office declined to comment when contacted by ABC News.
Wade's law partner in his private firm did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump and 18 others have pleaded not guilty to all charges in a Fulton County indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
The former president says his actions were not illegal and that the investigation is politically motivated.
veryGood! (6663)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Pitch Perfect 4 Is Being Developed and Rebel Wilson's Update Is Music to Our Ears
- A North Carolina man is charged with mailing an antisemitic threat to a Georgia rabbi
- Morgan Wallen waives Nashville court appearance amid 3-night concert
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- 'Mrs. Doubtfire' child stars reunite 30 years later: 'Still feels like family'
- Police in riot gear break up protests at UCLA as hundreds are arrested at campuses across U.S.
- Transgender Tennesseans want state’s refusal to amend birth certificates declared unconstitutional
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Brad Pitt and Girlfriend Ines De Ramon Make Waves on Rare Beach Date
Ranking
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Halle Berry joins senators to announce menopause legislation
- Biden administration says 100,000 new migrants are expected to enroll in ‘Obamacare’ next year
- Below Deck’s Captain Lee Shares Sinister Look at Life at Sea in New Series
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- The Best Mother’s Day Gifts for All the Purrr-Fect Cat Moms Who Are Fur-Ever Loved
- Facing development and decay, endangered US sites hope national honor can aid revival
- US jobs report for April will likely point to a slower but still-strong pace of hiring
Recommendation
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
What defines a heartbeat? Judge hears arguments in South Carolina abortion case
Battle to Prioritize Public Health over Oil Company Profits Heats Up
Head Over to Lululemon’s We Made Too Much -- Get a $128 Romper for $39 & More Finds Under $50
Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
Man who bragged that he ‘fed’ an officer to the mob of Capitol rioters gets nearly 5 years in prison
Mississippi Republicans revive bill to regulate transgender bathroom use in schools
Proof Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's Cutest Family Moments Are Always in Fashion