Georgia election hearing updates: Court adjourns with no decision yet in Meadows case
Mark Meadows took the stand on Monday.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, charged along with 18 others in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, took the stand on Monday to try to have his trial moved from state to federal court.
Among other charges, the indictment cites Meadows' role in the infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call then-President Donald Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger -- actions that Meadows argues he took as a federal official acting "under color" of his office.
Latest headlines:
- Hearing ends, no decision from the judge
- Raffensperger: Trump's 'outreach to that extent was extraordinary'
- Meadows dodges questions on if he believed Trump won election
- Meadows: 'I don't know that I did anything that was outside of my role'
- Meadows describes 'biggest surprise' in indictment
- Meadows says his role was to be in almost every meeting Trump had
Raffensperger: Trump's 'outreach to that extent was extraordinary'
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger testified about the impact of Donald Trump's pressure to challenge the results in Georgia.
Raffensperger also testified that he faced "multiple threats" to himself and his wife due to the false allegations of election fraud.
Prosecutors, discussing the Jan. 2, 2021, call between Raffensperger and Trump, asked Raffensperger if the election results could have been changed. Raffensperger replied, "We hadn't crossed that bridge yet, but I wouldn't think so."
When asked about Trump's efforts, Raffensperger said an "outreach to that extent was extraordinary."
The prosecution played audio clips from the Trump-Raffensperger call in court.
Raffensperger noted, at the prosecutor's prodding, that no one from the Department of Justice or the White House counsel's office was on the call.
"I thought that it was a campaign call," he said.
The defense tried to underscore that federal law enforcement has an interest in investigating fraud allegations, but Raffensperger then noted that when law enforcement investigates fraud allegations, they're asked to turn information over to the FBI or prosecutors, not a campaign.
-ABC News' Riley Hoffman, Mike Levine, Soorin Kim and Will Steakin
Raffensperger testifies
When Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger took the stand, he was asked directly what role the federal government plays in the certification of elections. He responded, "None."
Prosecutors followed up and asked if the president has any role in the certification of an election. Raffensperger responded, "Not from my understanding."
When asked if Donald Trump's team won the 2020 presidential election, Raffensperger said, "They lost the election."
Prosecutors then asked who won, and Raffensperger responded, "Now-President Biden."
Raffensperger testified about Meadows’ efforts to reach him before the Jan. 2, 2021, call, including a November 2020 text telling Raffensperger to call him. But Raffensperger said he didn't call him back. He said it would be inappropriate to have "outside forces" weighing in on the state's inquiries into alleged fraud.
-ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab
Attorney on Raffensperger call takes the stand
The first witness called to the stand by the prosecution was Kurt Hilbert, a Georgia attorney who was on Donald Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Hillbert testified that on Jan. 2, 2021, before the phone call, he spoke to Trump, Mark Meadows and lawyer Cleta Mitchell, all of whom were later on the call with Raffensperger.
Contrary to what Meadows testified, Hilbert said the only reason for the call with Raffensperger was to discuss campaign matters.
The prosecution asked, "You believe the entirety of that conversation was in furtherance of settlement negotiations related to the campaign lawsuit in Georgia?" Hilbert responded, "Yes."
The judge asked him why he believed that, and Hilbert said there were two pending lawsuits on the Georgia election and "there would be no other purpose" in having the call.
Hilbert said he did understand Meadows to be there as chief of staff.
Meadows testified earlier Monday that he couldn't recall if he spoke with campaign lawyers prior to the call on Jan. 2, 2021.
-ABC News' Riley Hoffman, Mike Levine and Will Steakin
Defense rests, Meadows steps down
Mark Meadows' defense has rested. Meadows stepped down from the stand after nearly three hours and 40 minutes.
Before stepping down, he reiterated that there is a federal role in ensuring the accuracy of elections and protecting elections from cyberthreats.
Before Meadows stepped down, prosecutors questioned him about his role in the fake electors scheme. Meadows said, "As chief of staff, no I did not coordinate those efforts."
The prosecution asked Meadows if he had a personal interest in Trump staying in office. He responded, "Wanting him to stay in office? Certainly."
The prosecution then asked if keeping his job depended on it. Meadows said yes, joking, "I can’t imagine that I would be chief of staff for Joe Biden … I was not on the shortlist."
Meadows testified that Trump’s focus on various allegations of election fraud played a role in Meadows being so involved in efforts to overturn the election. Meadows claimed, "They were consuming the president’s time."
-ABC News' Mike Levine and Will Steakin
Meadows: 'I don't know that I did anything that was outside of my role'
Court is in a brief recess after Mark Meadows testified for nearly three hours without breaks.
On the stand, Meadows firmly stood by his actions -- including observing the audit in Cobb County, Georgia, and setting up then-President Donald Trump's call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger -- putting it squarely as part of his role as chief of staff.
"I don't know that I did anything that was outside of my role as chief of staff," Meadows testified.
"I saw it as part of my role," Meadows said. "The president gave clear direction to deal with it."
Meadows said serving Trump "takes on all kinds of forms" and that much of the work had a "political component to certainly everything."
Meadows was careful with his words, at one point saying he didn't want to say anything incorrectly, while joking, "I'm in enough trouble as it is."
Attorneys for Trump were seated in the second row as Meadows testified.
-ABC News' Mike Levine, Aaron Katersky and Will Steakin