Three "fake" electors and Trump co-defendants ask judge to move their cases to federal court

Lawyers for three of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia, told a federal judge Wednesday that their clients' cases should be considered in federal court, claiming they were tantamount to federal officials in their role as appointed electors for the Republican party.

David Shafer, Shawn Still and Cathy Latham all say their charges should be moved out of state court because they served a federal function as electors when they allegedly took actions to contest Georgia's 2020 election results. They have all pleaded not guilty. 

The three Georgia politicians are accused of being so-called "fake" electors. They were among a group of 16 who submitted to the U.S. Senate and the National Archives a false certification attesting that Trump had won Georgia in the 2020 election. In their court filing seeking removal, they described themselves as "contingent" electors, "acting under officers of the United States."