White Property Chief of Team Mark Meadows speaks to reporters next a television job interview, exterior the White Home in Washington, Oct 21, 2020.
Alexander Drago | Reuters
The Supreme Court docket of South Carolina on Tuesday ordered previous White Dwelling main of team Mark Meadows to testify right before an Atlanta-area grand jury as section of its investigation into former President Donald Trump’s endeavours to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 election benefits.
A panel of five justices unanimously affirmed a reduce court judge’s buy for Meadows to comply with the subpoena from the Fulton County grand jury on Wednesday. Meadows experienced questioned the state supreme court docket to block the subpoena.
But the justices rejected Meadows’ charm, producing in a short belief, “We have reviewed the arguments elevated by Appellant and come across them to be manifestly without merit.”
A get in touch with for comment from Meadows’ attorney, James Bannister, was not instantly returned.
The Fulton County grand jury, led by Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis, is conducting a criminal investigation involving Trump’s drive for Georgia election officials to undo his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
On Jan. 2, 2021, 4 days right before Congress confirmed Biden’s victory, Trump referred to as Ga Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and stressed his require to “come across 11,780 votes” — a margin large enough for Trump to get the point out. Meadows experienced participated in that get in touch with.
Raffensperger, a Republican, pushed back on Trump, who then attacked the Georgia formal on social media.
In a motion to the South Carolina Supreme Court docket filed significantly less than two weeks in advance of his scheduled testimony day, Meadows’ lawyer questioned the legitimacy of the grand jury simply because Georgia law does not grant it the power to criminally indict defendants.
The point out supreme court’s ruling came one week just after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., yet another near Trump ally, testified before the Georgia grand jury. Graham experienced asked the U.S. Supreme Court to quash the grand jury’s subpoena for his testimony, but his ask for was turned down.