who warned 4 state attorney generals to use paper ballots in 2017 election

by Jermain Russel 4 min read

Who criticized Trump's firing of Attorney General candidates?

Dec 11, 2020 · In Blistering Retort, 4 Battleground States Tell Texas to Butt Out of Election. The attorneys general of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia asked the Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit ...

Who voted against certifying Trump’s election allegations?

Feb 15, 2022 · Ten GOP attorneys general have thrown their support behind lawsuits filed by the Pennsylvania Republican Party to prevent the state from counting mail-in ballots that arrived within three days after Election Day. Those late ballots would not have swung the election in Trump's favor. While the Supreme Court quickly rejected the Texas lawsuit ...

Why did Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton file a lawsuit against States?

Nov 16, 2020 · A review of litigation against federal agencies during the Trump administration shows that state attorneys general have filed 138 multistate lawsuits since he took office, according to data ...

Did the Pennsylvania Supreme Court extend the deadline for receiving ballots?

The Democratic victory in the 2013 Virginia election for attorney general caused the party to briefly regain a 22-21 majority of elected attorney general offices. This lead was lost in the 2014 midterm elections. After that point, the Republican Party continued to grow its majority control of elected attorney general offices.

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Who filed a contrarian brief against Texas?

Dave Yost, the Ohio attorney general, filed a contrarian brief to reject a lawsuit from Texas. Credit... But Dave Yost, Ohio’s attorney general, a Republican, filed a contrarian brief on Thursday accusing Texas of inconsistency. The Constitution, he wrote, “means today what it meant a month ago.”.

What did the states urge the justices to reject?

The states also urged the justices to reject what they said was the radical remedy sought by Texas: the disenfranchisement of tens of millions of voters. “In support of such a request,” Pennsylvania’s brief said, “Texas brings to the court only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact.

Does Texas tell other states how to run their elections?

The briefs said Texas was in no position to tell other states how to run their elections, adding that its filing was littered with falsehoods. “Texas proposes an extraordinary intrusion into Wisconsin’s and the other defendant states’ elections, a task that the Constitution leaves to each state,” Wisconsin’s brief said.

Which states have rejected the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Biden's victory?

The attorneys general of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia asked the Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit from Texas seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victories.

Is Paxton under indictment?

Paxton is under indictment in a securities fraud case and facing separate accusations of abusing his office to aid a political donor by several former employees. He has denied the allegations. Image. Mr. Paxton’s brief said that Mr. Biden’s chances of victory were “less than one in a quadrillion.”.

Topline

Republican attorneys general from 17 states signed on to an amicus brief Wednesday supporting Texas’ effort to sue four states in the U.S.

Key Facts

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Tuesday in the Supreme Court against Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin, alleging that the states’ election results should be invalidated because of fraud and irregularities that occurred as a result of the states expanding their voting rules amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Surprising Fact

The states’ amicus brief largely takes aim at the four targeted states’ expanded voting rules—but their arguments are often contradictory, such as opposing states extending their deadlines by which mail-in ballots must be received.

Chief Critic

In addition to legal experts, the attorneys general of the states named in Texas’ lawsuit have blasted the complaint as “a publicity stunt ” and “uniquely unserious ,” with the office of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, calling the legal challenge “constitutionally, legally and factually wrong.” “These insignificant attempts to disregard the will of the people in our three states mislead the public and tear at the fabric of our Constitution,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a joint statement Tuesday..

Key Background

Trump allies have repeatedly said that they want the election to be decided by the Supreme Court and its 6-3 conservative majority and pinned their hopes of success on the high court, even as more than 50 of their post-election lawsuits have failed in lower courts.

Further Reading

Analysis-Texas tries to overturn the U.S. election result. Can it succeed? (Reuters)

Who is the Massachusetts Attorney General?

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, whose state has been a plaintiff in dozens of cases against the Trump administration, said the White House adopted extreme positions that in her view flouted laws and required consistent action.

How many times have attorneys general sued Trump?

State attorneys general have sued Trump's administration 138 times — nearly double those of Obama and Bush. It's routine for attorneys general to sue the federal government, but experts say the sharp rise signifies the growing partisan and legal divide with Washington. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra with New York Attorney General ...

Who is the attorney general of California?

California's Democratic attorney general, Xavier Becerra, has been part of the most multistate lawsuits, according to Nolette's data.

Who is Greg Zoeller?

Greg Zoeller, a Republican who was Indiana's attorney general from 2009 to 2017, said the "dysfunction of the legislative branch" was a big reason Obama pushed through executive orders and administrative rules of his own, which alarmed Republican attorneys general.

How many states have an attorney general?

All 50 states have an attorney general who serves as the state's chief legal officer. The attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process. Seventeen states impose some form of term limits on attorneys ...

What is the role of an attorney general?

The attorney general is responsible for enforcing state law and advising the state government on legal matters. In many states, attorneys general play a large role in the law enforcement process. Seventeen states impose some form of term limits on attorneys general.

Who was the Supreme Court Justice in 202001?

Amy Coney Barrett sworn in as Supreme Court justice. Oct. 26, 202001:06. One of the most prominent of the interconnected groups was the Judicial Crisis Network, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that has been the public relations machine supporting the nomination of conservative, originalist judges to the country's courts.

Does Leo have a public office?

Although he doesn't hold public office, Leo has spent three decades helping to shift the American judiciary, including the Supreme Court, to the right. Now his network, backed by millions of dollars in untraceable "dark money," is working to reshape the American vote.

Who is Trump's personal lawyer?

Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, was on speaker phone, pressing the president to file a federal suit in Georgia and sharing a conspiracy theory gaining traction in conservative media — that Dominion Systems voting machines had transformed thousands of Trump votes into Biden votes.

Who predicted that Trump's supporters would erupt in rage?

On Fox, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, predicted that Mr. Trump’s supporters would erupt in rage “as they watch Joe Biden’s Democratic Party steal the election in Philadelphia, steal the election in Atlanta, steal the election in Milwaukee.”.

What computer was used to steal votes from Donald Trump?

On Oct. 31, an obscure website, The American Report, had published a story saying that a supercomputer called the Hammer, running software called Scorecard, would be used to steal votes from Mr. Trump.

What happened hours after the election?

Hours after the United States voted, the president declared the election a fraud — a lie that unleashed a movement that would shatter democratic norms and upend the peaceful transfer of power.

Did McConnell heed the assurances of Jared Kushner?

As he sought the president’s help in Georgia runoffs that could cost him his own grip on power, Mr. McConnell heeded misplaced assurances from White House aides like Jared Kushner that Mr. Trump would eventually accede to reality, people close to the senator told The Times. Mr.

Who were the lawyers in the Giuliani lawsuit?

That included not only Mr. Giuliani and lawyers like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, but also the vast majority of Republican attorneys general, whose dead-on-arrival Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to discount 20 million votes was secretly drafted by lawyers close to the White House, The Times found.

Who can take a case to the Supreme Court?

Only one type of lawyer can take a case filed by one state against another directly to the Supreme Court: a state attorney general. The president’s original election lawyers doubted that any attorney general would be willing to do so, according to one member of the team, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Who signed the anti-Biden letter?

Other signers of the anti-Biden letter included include Vice Adm. John Poindexter, who was convicted in the Iran-Contra Affair. Also signing on was Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc, who lost the Republican primary in 2020 to challenge Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, and is planning another Senate run.

How many retired military officers have written to Biden?

A group of more than 120 retired military officers have written to President Joe Biden to tell him his election was less than legitimate – while questioning his mental acuity.

What is Flag Officers 4 America?

The group calls itself 'Flag Officers 4 America' and consists of retired military officers including generals and admirals. 'The FBI and Supreme Court must act swiftly when election irregularities are surfaced and not ignore them as was done in 2020,' they wrote.

What is the letter from retired generals and admirals?

The letter, called an 'Open Letter from Retired Generals and Admirals,' was reported by Politico . It echoes Trump's claims that absentee ballots are not secure as it goes after Biden, who serves as Commander in Chief of the military.

Who was the signer of the letter to the Capitol?

That letter came three days before the Capitol riot. The signers of the attached their names to the letter. Among them was Maj. Gen. Joe Arbuckle, who served in Vietnam and later commanded the US Army Industrial Operations Command (IOC) at Rock Island, Illinois.

Who denounced Trump in 2020?

In the run-up to 2020, retired Gen. James Mattis denounced Trump, whom he served as Defense Secretary, in a June response to the events at Lafayette Square. 'We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution,' Mattis wrote.

Who is Jim Golby?

Jim Golby, an expert in civil-military relations, blasted the effort in Politico as a 'shameful effort to use their rank and the military's reputation for such a gross and blatant partisan attack.'. Retired Air Force colonel Marybeth Ulrich, who teaches at the Air Force Academy, termed it 'anti-democratic.'.

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