Late Monday night, December 7, 2020, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, alleging those states destroyed the trust and compromised security and integrity in the 2020 Presidential election.
Who Is Texas Suing?
The Texas lawsuit is filed in the United States Supreme Court, naming four states in particular as defendants: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. These states have numerous instances of alleged voter fraud, but that is not what is being argued. It is that voting rules were changed without state legislature involvement.
By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections.
Paxton said on the Texas Attorney General Website that “Trust in the integrity of our election processes is sacrosanct and binds our citizenry and the States in this Union together. Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin destroyed that trust and compromised the security and integrity of the 2020 election. The states violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures, thereby violating the Constitution.” He continued, “By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections [1].”
The Texas complaint, in a nutshell, is that the defendants did not follow the U.S. Constitution in the election as Texas did. Because these states allowed illegal votes, it disenfranchises the citizens of the defendant states and also the citizens of Texas.
Is Texas Alone?
Texas filed the lawsuit late Monday night. Late Tuesday, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt tweeted that Missouri would back Texas’ lawsuit at the Supreme Court [2]. Arkansas is supporting Texas’ lawsuit, also. Meanwhile, Alabama and Louisiana are calling upon the Supreme Court to “act quickly.”
Election integrity is central to our republic. And I will defend it at every turn.
As I have in other cases – I will help lead the effort in support of Texas’ #SCOTUS filing today.
Missouri is in the fight. https://t.co/V3aLHrYnOF
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) December 9, 2020
Mississippi has joined these states in support of Texas [3]. Their Attorney General Fitch said she is supporting Texas’ efforts releasing a statement today saying “today, I have joined my colleagues in supporting Texas’ efforts to ensure that our elections are free and fair. Voter fraud elsewhere dilutes the votes of Mississippians and it makes a mockery of the very foundation of our government. I am proud to defend the votes of the people of Mississippi and will continue to fight for their rights.”
to ensure that our elections are free and fair. Voter fraud elsewhere dilutes the votes of Mississippi and makes a mockers of the very foundation of our government.
These states are not alone in wanting justice. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, South Dakota has joined these other states in alliance with Texas [4]. Additional states are expected to align with Texas as the case moves forward.
Supreme Court Status
Justice Alito of the Supreme Court had issued a dissenting opinion in October regarding Pennsylvania’s disregard of state law, writing that “The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has issued a decree that squarely alters an important statutory provision enacted by the Pennsylvania Legislature pursuant to its authority under the Constitution of the United States to make rules governing the conduct of elections for federal office [5]
The Supreme Court does not take every case sent before it. However, because this is an issue between states and there is no other recourse, the case is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court.
The court has ordered “Response to the motion for leave to file a bill of complaint and to the motion for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order or, alternatively, for stay and administrative stay requested, due Thursday, December 10, by 3 pm [6].”
Notes:
- ^AG Paxton Sues Battleground States for Unconstitutional Changes to 2020 Election Laws. (2020, December 09). Retrieved from https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/ag-paxton-sues-battleground-states-unconstitutional-changes-2020-election-laws (go back ↩)
- ^Saavedra, R. (2020). Multiple States Throw Support Behind Texas’ Election Lawsuit Against GA, WI, MI, PA. Conservative Review. Retrieved from https://www.conservativereview.com/multiple-states-throw-support-behind-texas-election-lawsuit-against-ga-wi-mi-pa-2649426164.html (go back ↩)
- ^Mississippi attorney general supporting Texas in election lawsuit. (2020, December 09). Retrieved from https://www.wtva.com/content/election-content/Mississippi-attorney-general-supporting-Texas-in-election-lawsuit-573347801.html (go back ↩)
- ^https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2020/12/09/south-dakota-joins-amicus-brief-supporting-texas-lawsuit-challenging-election-results/ (go back ↩)
- ^Alito, S. (2020). SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PENNSYLVANIA v. KATHY BOOCKVAR, SECRETARY OF PENNSYLVANIA, ET AL. Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/20-542_i3dj.pdf (go back ↩)
- ^Search – Supreme Court of the United States. (2020, December 09). 22O155. Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22o155.html (go back ↩)
