Judge denies requests to move trials to federal court for 3 of Trump's co-defendants
Cathleen Latham, David Shafer and Shawn Still
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A federal judge has denied the requests to move their trials to federal court made by three of former President Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case.
The requests were made by Cathleen Latham, David Shafer and Sen. Shawn Still.
All three of the codefendants claimed they were acting as federal officials at the time that they voted for Trump as electors for the Republican Party in Georgia.
Federal Judge Steve C. Jones wrote "The Court determines that presidential electors are not federal officers" in all three orders.
Jones also said that although electors are engaging in federal functions when they cast their ballots, that is not enough to make them federal officials.
Latham is the former GOP chair for Coffee County and a member of the Georgia Republican Party's executive committee. She is facing 11 charges.
Shafer is the former chair for the Georgia Republican Party and is facing 8 charges.
Still is the representative for Georgia's 48th district in the Senate. He is facing 7 charges.
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Judge Jones also declined on Friday to move Jeffrey Clark's case to federal court. In that ruling, Jones said Clark failed to meet the burden of demonstrating that removal of the prosecution by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is warranted.