ATLANTA (AP) — Former Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark and former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer, who were indicted last week along with former President Donald Trump, have filed paperwork to transfer the case to federal court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week obtained a 41-count indictment against Trump and 18 other people, who are accused of participating in a wide-ranging conspiracy to overturn his narrow election loss in Georgia in the November 2020 general election. Trump’s bond has been set at $200,000 and he has said he will surrender to authorities in Fulton County on Thursday.
Lawyers for Clark argued in a court filing Monday that he was a high-ranking Justice Department official and the actions described in the indictment “relate directly to his work at the Justice Department as well as with the former President of the United States.” Shafer’s attorneys argued that his conduct “stems directly from his service as a Presidential Elector nominee.”
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows last week made similar arguments in a federal court filing, saying his actions were taken in service to his White House role.