The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear the final appeal of former Trump administration chief of staff Mark Meadows to transfer his charges in the Georgia election interference case to federal court.

Meadows argued in his request to the court that his previous appeals were erroneously rejected. The petitions to the district court and appeals court argued that the state criminal charges leveled against him related to the scope of his official duties as former White House chief of staff to Donald Trump and were therefore subject to federal law 28 USC § 1442(a)(1). The statute allows state-level cases against federal officers to be removed to federal court if the acts were under the “color” of their official duties.

Both lower courts found that since the removal statute does not mention former federal officers, it was inapplicable to Meadows’ case. Additionally, the district court emphasized that there is a “strong judicial policy against federal interference with state criminal proceedings.”

Meadows claimed the lower court rulings would allow states to weaponize their prosecutorial power against former federal officials. He stated that “if former officers cannot remove at all … then the floodgates are open, and nightmare scenarios will not take long to materialize.”

The court denied Meadows’ “nightmare scenario” claim but provided no reasoning.