Trump unexpectedly says he won’t seek to move his Georgia election case to federal court

Former President Donald Trump will not seek to move his criminal election interference case in Georgia to federal court, according to a court filing Thursday.

The filing comes weeks after the former president’s attorneys notified Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, that he might attempt to pursue a federal venue.

“This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this Honorable Court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia,” Trump attorney Steven Sadow wrote.

NBC News has reached out to a spokesperson for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for comment.

Trump is facing charges related to allegations that he and 18 co-defendants sought to overturn his election loss in Georgia. Some of his co-defendants have made efforts to move their cases to federal court, which would allow them federal defenses to the charges and could offer more favorable jury pools.

A federal judge on Sept. 8 denied former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to move the Georgia criminal case against him to federal court. That ruling came a day after a Trump attorney said the former president might seek a similar move.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.