Judge rejects Meadows' bid for White House records from National Archives to aid his Georgia defense

A federal judge on Tuesday rejected former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows' bid for White House records that would help build his defense in Georgia.

Meadows, who was the chief of staff under former President Donald Trump, was one of 18 allies indicted last year over their alleged efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia. He faces charges under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, for allegedly soliciting an official to violate their oath of office.

U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly ruled that Meadows' effort to obtain the documents was flawed because he attempted to get the documents through a state court first. The Georgia judge who initially allowed Meadows to pursue the records was not actually authorized to approve the request because state judges rarely have authority over federal agencies.

“The Court cannot bypass this jurisdictional defect,” Kelly, who was a Trump appointee, wrote in his order, per Politico.

The former Trump White House official had hoped to secure records of his emails, text messages, and other White House documents from the National Archives. Meadows argued the documents would help his case in Georgia.

Meadows was allegedly part of a phone conversation with Georgia election officials, where Trump supposedly told the officials to "find" enough votes in the state to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

President Joe Biden won the state in 2020 by just 11,779 votes, the Associated Press reported in 2020.

Meadows has also been charged in Arizona's alternative electors case.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.