Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows found himself in the spotlight once again as he was recently booked and subsequently released upon posting a $100,000 bond. The charges levied against him are tied to the ongoing criminal case that alleges former President Donald Trump and his associates engaged in illegal activities aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Meadows faced charges of racketeering and solicitation of a violation of an oath by a public officer. This development closely followed the similar bond amount set for Jeffrey Clark, a former official from the Trump Justice Department, earlier on the same day.
In a turn of events on Thursday, Meadows was formally processed in an Atlanta jail. This event is linked to a larger legal case that implicates Trump and his allies in their alleged efforts to undermine the election results in Georgia from the prior year.
The charges against Meadows encompass racketeering and solicitation of a violation of an oath committed by a public officer. His bond, set at $100,000, was determined earlier in the day.
Coincidentally, Jeffrey Clark, who had served in the Department of Justice during the Trump era, also received a bond amount of $100,000. Clark is confronted with a racketeering charge, in addition to a count involving the attempted commission of false statements and writings.
The bond orders for both Meadows and Clark were issued by the Fulton County Superior Court. This came just hours ahead of Trump’s anticipated journey to Atlanta, where he is expected to turn himself in to face his own charges in a wide-ranging grand jury indictment managed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
A noteworthy mention is that Trump, Meadows, and Clark are among the 19 individuals named as co-defendants in Willis’ case. Trump’s bond was set at a higher amount, $200,000, and he faces a series of 13 charges that include racketeering, criminal conspiracy, and the submission of false documents.
Of note, Meadows and Clark had not been indicted as part of the federal election interference inquiry conducted by special counsel Jack Smith against Trump. This separate federal case encompasses many of the events that are central to the Georgia indictment.
All 19 co-defendants implicated in the Georgia case were required to surrender at the Fulton County Jail by the end of the week, specifically before Friday. Several individuals, including lawyers John Eastman and Sidney Powell, as well as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, were already booked and subsequently released.
Meadows, in an effort to shift the trajectory of the case, is seeking to relocate it from the state court to the federal court. He sought a swift resolution before the looming deadline to avoid potential arrest.
However, the presiding judge declined his request, along with another proposal to prevent Willis from taking him into custody. Despite Meadows’ request for an extension, Willis held firm on the arrest deadline.
One of Meadows’ charges is tied to his involvement in a crucial January 2, 2021, phone call during which Trump encouraged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to uncover additional votes that would nullify Biden’s victory in the state.
In a significant development, Raffensperger has been summoned to appear at a hearing scheduled for Monday. The hearing will focus on Meadows’ bid to shift the election case’s jurisdiction to federal court. Raffensperger’s office, however, declined to comment on the matter when approached by CNBC.
Clark’s additional charge pertains to his endeavors to challenge President Joe Biden’s election win. This was pursued through the creation of a document in December 2020, falsely asserting that the Justice Department had identified substantial concerns impacting the outcome of the election in key states. Clark’s attempt involved trying to secure endorsements from other Department of Justice officials and forwarding the document to Georgia officials.
Meanwhile, Trump, who is entangled in four active criminal cases, has advocated for postponing his trials until after the 2024 presidential election. Yet, Kenneth Chesebro, another individual implicated in the Georgia case, filed a motion demanding an expedited trial in Fulton County Superior Court on Wednesday.
In a recent court filing, District Attorney Willis proposed a trial commencement date of October 23, aiming to move the proceedings forward.