Trump will not pursue a transfer of his criminal election interference case in Georgia to the federal court system, ending weeks of speculation since his legal team had hinted at such a move.
Former President Donald Trump has made a significant decision regarding his Georgia election case, as confirmed in a court filing on Thursday
Trump’s attorneys had previously informed Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the Georgia election case, about the possibility of seeking a federal venue. However, Trump has now chosen to keep the Georgia election case within the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia.
In a statement, Trump’s attorney, Steven Sadow, cited the former president’s strong belief that the Fulton County Superior Court will ensure his constitutional rights to a fair trial and due process are fully protected during the course of the case. The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office refrained from commenting on this development.
The charges in the Georgia election case are related to allegations that Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, attempted to overturn his election loss in Georgia
Some of these co-defendants had explored the possibility of moving their Georgia election cases to federal court, where they could present federal defenses and potentially benefit from more favorable jury pools. All 19 defendants in the Georgia election case have pleaded not guilty. Notably, a federal judge recently rejected a similar attempt by Trump’s former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, to transfer his Georgia criminal case to federal court.
As Trump faces a growing number of civil and criminal cases, with one trial scheduled for the upcoming week and others set to begin during the GOP primary season next year, he has argued for postponing these trials until after the 2024 presidential election.