Trump unexpectedly says he won't seek to move his Georgia election case to federal court

Former President Donald Trump will not seek to move his criminal election interference case in Georgia to federal court, according to a court filing Thursday.

The filing comes weeks after Trump's attorneys notified Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, that he might try to pursue a federal venue.

"This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia," Trump attorney Steven Sadow wrote.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

Trump faces charges related to allegations that he and 18 co-defendants sought to overturn his election loss in Georgia. Some of his co-defendants have sought to move their cases to federal court, which would allow them to make federal defenses to the charges and could offer more favorable jury pools.

All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty and Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

• Add to Google

Trump co-defendant Jeffrey Clark tries to move Georgia case to federal court

05:45

A federal judge denied Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to move the Georgia criminal case against him to federal court on Sept. 8, a day after a Trump attorney said the former president might seek a similar move.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to a request for comment on whether Thursday's court filing by the former president was influenced by the ruling against Meadows.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between killed New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

At a hearing last week, lawyers for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark pressed to move his case to federal court, arguing that Clark was operating in his official capacity when he prepared a document that falsely claimed the Justice Department had identified “significant concerns” that might have affected the outcome of the election in Georgia and other states.

As Trump's civil and criminal cases pile up, with one scheduled to go to trial next week and others scheduled to start when the GOP primary season is in full swing next year, he has argued that such trials should be postponed until after the 2024 presidential election.