A South Carolina judge ordered Mark Meadows, chief of staff under former President Donald Trump, to deliver testimony before the Fulton County criminal inquiry into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Circuit Court Judge Edward Miller determined that Meadows is a “necessary and material” witness to the investigation and tossed out his bid to quash a subpoena lodged against him Wednesday. A lawyer for Meadows quickly told reporters he plans to appeal the ruling.
“I am going to find that the witness is material and necessary to the investigation and that the state of Georgia is assuring not to cause undue hardship to him,” Miller declared, per CNN.
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Fulton County investigators moved to subpoena Meadows back in August, but the former chief of staff quickly waged a court battle in response. The ruling Wednesday came from a state court, which means Meadows’s appeal will likely take place in a South Carolina appellate court, according to a reporter.
“[Meadows] possesses unique knowledge concerning the logistics, planning, execution, and subject matter of the January 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger,” a Fulton County explanation for Meadows’s testimony explained. “Witness’s anticipated testimony is essential in that it is likely to reveal additional sources of information.”
James Bannister, Meadows’s attorney argued that Meadows was not a material witness to the case and cited former President Donald Trump’s assertion of executive privilege as a reason to quash the subpoena. Initially, Meadows was due to deliver testimony on Sept. 27, but Fulton County prosecutors argued a scheduling conflict delayed the deposition, per CNBC.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis initiated the inquiry last year following audio that surfaced of a call between former President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump underscored the need to “find” 11,780 votes in the Peach State, the figure needed to reverse his loss.
A special grand jury was impaneled back in May to assist in the inquiry. It has the power to recommend charges but can’t criminally charge by itself. Fulton County investigators have subpoenaed a number of high-profile witnesses for testimony.
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Recently, a federal court rejected Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) challenge of a subpoena, though the Supreme Court has since intervened, leaving his testimony in a state of limbo.
Numerous high-profile witnesses such as Raffensperger, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, and others have reportedly given testimony to the inquiry.
