WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to let former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows take the election meddling case against him in Georgia to federal court, where he would have argued he is immune from prosecution.

The justices did not detail their reasoning in a succinct order, as is typical. There were no publicly noted dissents.

Meadows was one of 19 people indicted in Georgia accused of participating in an illegal scheme to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump was also charged, though after winning re-election last week to a second term, any lawsuit seems unlikely, at least as long as he holds office. Both men have denied wrongdoing.

It’s unclear what effect the election results might have on the other defendants in the case, which is largely on hold after an appeals court agreed to consider whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because of the relationship her romance with the special prosecutor he hired her to lead. the case.

Meadows went to the Supreme Court in an effort to move the charges out of Georgia courts. He argues that the case belongs in federal court because it relates to his duties as a federal official. He pointed to the Supreme Court decision granting Trump broad immunity from prosecution to support his argument.

“A White House chief of staff facing criminal charges based on actions related to his work for the President of the United States should not be a close call — especially now that this court has recognized that federal immunity impacts evidence that can be taken into account, not just what conduct can be the basis of liability,” his lawyers wrote.

But prosecutors said Meadows failed to prove he was performing official duties during the alleged scheme, including participating in a phone call in which Trump suggested Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger could help “find” votes for that he needed to win the state.

They argued the case should remain in Georgia courts and Meadows can raise the federal defense there. Prosecutors also rejected the claim that the charges could have knock-on effects on other federal officials.

“His references to the overheated words of op-eds cannot be sufficient to demonstrate that it is almost a new era of ubiquitous prosecution of former federal officials,” government lawyers wrote.

A U.S. District Judge and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the case against Meadows and some of his co-defendants should remain in state court. A federal judge also declined to send an Arizona voter fraud case against him there to federal court.

Four people have already pleaded guilty in the election case in Georgia, after reaching agreements with prosecutors. The remaining 15, including Trump and Meadows, have pleaded not guilty.