Former President Donald Trump will not seek to take his criminal election interference case in Georgia to federal court, according to a court filing Thursday.
The filing comes weeks after Trump’s lawyers informed Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, that he may seek a federal court venue.
“This decision is based on his reasonable belief that this honorable court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and to guarantee him due process throughout the prosecution of his case in the Supreme Court of Fulton County, Georgia ,” wrote Trump attorney Steven Sadow.
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The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Trump is being indicted on allegations that he and 18 co-defendants tried to overturn his election defeat in Georgia. Some of his co-defendants have sought to have their cases moved to federal court, which would allow them to defend federal charges and provide more favorable jury pools.
All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty and Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
A federal judge on Sept. 8 rejected an attempt by Mark Meadows, Trump’s White House chief of staff, to move the criminal case against him in Georgia to federal court, a day after a Trump lawyer said that the former president could seek a similar step.
A spokesman for Trump did not respond to a request for comment on whether the former president’s court filing Thursday was affected by the ruling against Meadows.
At a hearing last week, lawyers for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark pushed for his case to be moved to federal court, arguing that Clark was acting in his official capacity when he prepared a document that falsely claimed the Justice Department have identified “significant concerns” could have influenced the outcome of the election in Georgia and other states.
As Trump’s civil and criminal cases pile up, with one set to go to trial next week and others set to begin as the GOP primaries get into full swing next year, he has argued that such proceedings are timed after the 2024 presidential election should be postponed.
Charlie Gile contributed.
