Current:Home > NewsTrump may try to have his Georgia election interference case removed to federal court -Streamline Finance
Trump may try to have his Georgia election interference case removed to federal court
View
Date:2025-04-16 15:20:18
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! (97)
Related
- How breaking emerged from battles in the burning Bronx to the Paris Olympics stage
- Only 31 new emojis will be introduced this year as approvals slow to a trickle
- King Charles urged to acknowledge Britain's legacy of genocide and colonization on coronation day
- Gwyneth Paltrow Addresses Backlash to Daily Wellness Routine
- NCAA President Charlie Baker would be 'shocked' if women's tournament revenue units isn't passed
- Streaming outperforms both cable and broadcast TV for the first time ever
- Burnout turned Twitch streamers' dreams of playing games full time into nightmares
- Charmed’s Brian Krause and Drew Fuller Give Update on F--king Warrior Shannen Doherty
- What polling shows about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ new running mate
- Elon Musk says he's willing to buy Twitter after all
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Why Biden's plan to boost semiconductor chip manufacturing in the U.S. is so critical
- 2023 Coachella & Stagecoach Packing Guide: 10 Swimsuits to Help You Cool Down in Style
- Biden has $52 billion for semiconductors. Today, work begins to spend that windfall
- PHOTO COLLECTION: AP Top Photos of the Day Wednesday August 7, 2024
- DALL-E is now available to all. NPR put it to work
- Dina Lohan Shares Why Daughter Lindsay Lohan’s Pregnancy Came at the “Right Time”
- Surreal or too real? Breathtaking AI tool DALL-E takes its images to a bigger stage
Recommendation
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Tommy Lee's nude photo sparks backlash over double-standard social media censorship
Lizzo Reveals Who She's Looking for in Watch Out for the Big Grrrls Season 2
On World Press Freedom Day, U.N. reveals unbelievable trends in deadly attacks against journalists
British swimmer Adam Peaty: There are worms in the food at Paris Olympic Village
Tamar Braxton Confirms Beef With Kandi Burruss: Their Surprising Feud Explained
Social media firms are prepping for the midterms. Experts say it may not be enough
75 years after India's violent Partition, survivors can cross the border — virtually