Mark Meadows, John Eastman plead not guilty in Georgia election interference case

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump attorney John Eastman were among the final seven defendants in Georgia's 2020 election interference case to plead not guilty Tuesday and waive their right to arraignment.

All 19 defendants in the case have now filed paperwork to waive their right to arraignment and enter "not guilty" pleas to allegations of illegal efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Arraignment had been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination for re-election in 2024, waived his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to 13 felony counts last week.

In addition to Meadows and Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official; Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still; Cathy Latham, former chair of the Coffee County Republican Party; David Shafer, former chair of the Georgia Republican Party; and Misty Hampton, former Coffee County elections director, were the last to waive their right to arraignment Tuesday afternoon, according to court records.

Trump and the 18 other defendants were charged last month under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law, in addition to multiple counts including conspiracy to defraud the state, forgery, criminal attempt to file false documents, false statements and writings, and conspiracy to commit election fraud.

Meadows is charged with soliciting an official to violate their oath of office and is also accused of violating the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits officials from using their government status to influence an election.

The former White House chief of staff is currently working to move his case out of Georgia to the federal court system, arguing that he was carrying out his duties as a federal official. Last week, Meadows took the witness stand and testified that he was involved with most of Trump's meetings as a participant or as an observer.

Clark, Shafer and Latham are also working to get their cases moved to federal court.

While Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking to try all of the co-defendants simultaneously, former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro have requested speedy trials, separate from the others.

Trump faces a March 4 trial date, on the eve of Super Tuesday, which will be televised.