The appeals panel rejects Meadows’ request to move the Georgia case to federal court

A federal appeals court panel on Monday rejected an attempt by Mark Meadows, White House chief of staff under former President Donald J. Trump, to move a case against him related to election interference in Georgia to federal court.

The decision was made by judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta. Mr. Meadows and Mr. Trump were among 19 defendants charged in August with racketeering and other crimes related to their efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Mr. Meadows has sought from the start to take his case out of state court, which would expand the jury pool to a geographic area with somewhat more support for Mr. Trump. He claimed that the charges against him related to actions he took as a federal official and thus should be heard in federal court.

But in September, a federal judge sided with Atlanta prosecutors. to write that Mr. Meadows’ conduct, as detailed in the indictment, was “unrelated to his role as White House Chief of Staff or his executive branch.”

The appellate judges who heard the case, two Democratic appointees and one Republican, unanimously supported that ruling.

“Whatever the role of the chief of staff may be with respect to state election administration, it does not essentially include altering valid election results in favor of a particular candidate,” wrote Chief Circuit Judge William Pryor, an appointee of President George W. Bush . in his opinion.