Judge rules against Mark Meadows in moving his Arizona fake electors case to federal court

Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows ’s “fake electors” case must remain in Arizona , a judge ruled on Monday.

Meadows is one of 18 people charged by a state grand jury in an alleged fake elector scheme to help former President Donald Trump overturn the results of the 2020 election in Arizona and other swing states. While he is not being charged as a fake elector in Arizona, prosecutors allege Meadows worked with other Trump campaign members to submit names of fake electors from Arizona.

Meadows’s legal team tried to move the case to federal court, arguing his actions were taken when he was a federal official working as Trump’s chief of staff. His attorneys cited immunity under the supremacy clause of the Constitution, which says federal law ranks higher than state law.

“Nothing Mr. Meadows is alleged in the indictment to have done is criminal per se. Rather, it consists of allegations that he received (and occasionally responded to) messages from people who were trying to get ideas in front of President Trump or seeking to inform Mr. Meadows about the strategy and status of various legal efforts by the President’s campaign,” Meadows’s lawyers wrote in a federal court filing.

“Even assuming that the proposals being suggested to Mr. Meadows were illegal under state law, that is all the more reason why it would be appropriate for the Chief of Staff to be aware of them,” his attorneys noted.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi said Meadows missed a deadline to file his request and "has failed to show good cause that might permit the Court to excuse the untimeliness."

“Contrary to Mr. Meadows’s assertions, the State has not indicted Mr. Meadows for merely facilitating communication to and from the President or for simply staying abreast of campaign goings-on,” Tuchi wrote in a 15-page ruling .

“Instead, the State has indicted Mr. Meadows for allegedly orchestrating and participating in an illegal electioneering scheme. Few, if any, of the State’s factual allegations even resemble the secretarial duties that Mr. Meadows maintains are the subject of the indictment,” he continued.

Tuchi also wrote that Arizona prosecutors have alleged that Meadows took an active role in explaining the elector scheme to Trump allies. He also noted that Meadows told congressional allies about his involvement with the scheme, such as Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), with whom Meadows texted “I love it” when told about the plan for Republican state legislatures to reject their states’ votes.

“Although the Court credits Mr. Meadows’s theory that the Chief of Staff is responsible for acting as the President’s gatekeeper, that conclusion does not create a causal nexus between Mr. Meadows’s official authority and the charged conduct,” Tuchi continued.

Meadows's case will remain in Arizona as a result of Tuchi’s ruling. He faces nine counts in Arizona and has pleaded not guilty.

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Meadows tried to move his election subversion charges in Georgia to federal court as well, but he was unsuccessful.

A Maricopa County judge recently set a trial date for January 2026, which will be five years after the alleged crimes occurred. Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in Arizona's case.