Two United States District Court judges blocked Trump campaign election challenges in Georgia and Michigan Monday, slamming them for their overeach and presumption. The dismissed Georgia case was the infamous “Kraken” lawsuit filed by Trump attorney Sidney Powell.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, a federal judge dismissed the Georgia case from the bench Monday morning. The judge stated, “Federal courts are of limited jurisdiction; they are not the legal equivalent to medical hospitals which have emergency rooms that are open 24/7 to all comers. In their complaint, the plaintiffs essentially asked the court for perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election.” The judge has yet to publish an official opinion.
Following the dismissal of the lawsuit, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger re-certified the election results Monday afternoon. In a statement, Secretary Raffensperger remarked, “Today is an important day for election integrity in Georgia and across the country. The claims in the Kraken lawsuit prove to be as mythological as the creature for which they’re named. Georgians can now move forward knowing that their votes, and only their legal votes, were counted accurately, fairly, and reliably.”
In the Michigan lawsuit, a suit likewise brought by Sidney Powell, the court denied the Trump legal team’s effort to prevent certification of the election results and vehemently criticized the effort as that which would disenfranchise millions of voters:
The right to vote is among the most sacred rights of our democracy and, in turn, uniquely defines us as Americans. The struggle to achieve the right to vote is one that has been both hard fought and cherished throughout our country’s history. Local, state, and federal elections give voice to this right through the ballot. And elections that count each vote celebrate and secure this cherished right. These principles are the bedrock of American democracy and are widely revered as being woven into the fabric of this country. In Michigan, more than 5.5 million citizens exercised the franchise either in person or by absentee ballot during the 2020 General Election. Those votes were counted and, as of November 23, 2020, certified by the Michigan Board of State Canvassers (also “State Board”). The Governor has sent the slate of Presidential Electors to the Archivist of the United States to confirm the votes for the successful candidate. Against this backdrop, Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit, bringing forth claims of widespread voter irregularities and fraud in the processing and tabulation of votes and absentee ballots. They seek relief that is stunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach. If granted, the relief would disenfranchise the votes of the more than 5.5 million Michigan citizens who, with dignity, hope, and a promise of a voice, participated in the 2020 General Election. The Court declines to grant Plaintiffs this relief. (Citations omitted)
These rulings are among many across the country over election challenges in the last month. The Georgia and Michigan rulings follow a Nevada state court dismissal of another Trump campaign lawsuit Friday.
