Judge denies Jeffrey Clark’s attempt to move Georgia case to federal court

deconstruct@lemm.ee to politics @lemmy.world – 126 points –
Judge denies Jeffrey Clark’s attempt to move Georgia case to federal court
thehill.com

A judge denied former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark’s attempt to move his Georgia charges to federal court Friday, dealing another significant blow to the early defense strategy being pursued by several charged individuals in former President Trump’s Georgia case.

Like the others, Clark argued he was acting in his capacity as a federal official, an assertion that, if accepted, could provide a pathway for him to assert immunity.

But U.S. District Judge Steve Jones, an Obama appointee, in a 31-page ruling rejected Clark’s argument Friday, the second such time Jones has done so for a defendant.

“The Court concludes that Clark has not submitted evidence to meet his burden to show that his actions were causally related to his federal office,” Jones wrote in his decision.

He previously rejected an attempt mounted by Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, though Meadows is appealing. Jones has not yet ruled on the requests to move courts filed by the three “fake electors” charged in the indictment.

5

[I was acting in my capacity as a federal official.]

[You were acting in the capacity of your office when you did the things that your supervisor specifically and directly told you not to do?]

[Uh... yes?]

[Motion denied.]

This is the dude who wrote an email using the word "fake" to describe the electors, then sent a followup saying "let's use the word 'alternate' instead [smiley] ".

He's so toast. Talk about state- of- mind evidence.