(Bloomberg) -- A federal appeals court rejected an effort by former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to transfer Georgia state criminal charges against him for election interference to federal court.

Meadows can’t move his case because the actions for which he faces criminal charges weren’t part of his official federal duties under former President Donald Trump, according to an opinion issued by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Georgia on Monday.

The ruling is a major defeat for Meadows, Trump and other defendants who were charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for trying to overthrow the state’s 2020 election results. Meadows and other defendants have sought to move their cases to federal court because they may have a better chance of getting charges dismissed by arguing they were carrying out official US government duties. 

Meadows, Trump and 17 others were charged by Willis in August, accusing them of violating Georgia’s racketeering law by participating in a “criminal enterprise” to keep Trump in office after his loss to President Joe Biden was repeatedly verified.

Meadows’ conduct after the election involved either “unauthorized interference with state election procedures or prohibited campaigning,” the appeals panel ruled in a 49-page opinion. Neither were part of his official job, the judges said.

A key part of the Fulton County criminal case against Meadows involves his arranging a call on Jan. 2, 2021, in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” just enough votes to reverse his election loss in the state.

“Meadows had no official authority to operate on behalf of the Trump campaign,” according to the opinion. “But he offers no other plausible justification for calling and soliciting” Raffensperger to alter the certified election results.

The panel also found no official rationale for Meadows to travel to Cobb County, Georgia, after the election to try to observe the nonpublic signature-match audit being performed by law enforcement officers.

“Authority over electoral proceedings is expressly delegated to the states,” the panel ruled.

The appeals court upheld a ruling in September by US District Judge Steve Jones denying the bid by Meadows. 

While Meadows has been trying to remove his case to federal court, four other defendants charged by Willis have pleaded guilty. Willis has asked for a trial to begin in August.

(Updates with more from ruling starting in the fifth paragraph.)

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