Tipsheet

With Deadline Looming, PA Republicans Make One Final Attempt to Block Certification of Election Results

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  November 23, 2020 12:05 PM

Yes, there are allegations of voter fraud. Yes, you’re never going to convince me that Joe Biden got the results that he did fair and square. And yes, the legal effort by the Trump team has been met with serial failure. We’re approaching the end of the line regarding the legal challenges, and right now, with Pennsylvania’s certification deadline slated for Monday, Pennsylvania Republicans have filed one more legal attempt to block that process (via The Hill):

A group of Pennsylvania Republicans have filed an emergency lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election results in the Keystone State, which President-elect Joe Biden won by more than 80,000 votes. 

The emergency petition, filed in state court this weekend, comes ahead of Monday’s deadline for Pennsylvania counties to certify their voting results, part of the process of formalizing President Trump’s electoral defeat.

Among the plaintiffs are Trump ally Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who has asked the court to strike down an expanded mail ballot policy that Pennsylvania put in place last year after it was passed by the state's GOP-held legislature.  

[…]

The Trump campaign is engaged in separate litigation in Pennsylvania federal court.  

The campaign on Monday is expected to file an appeal of its stinging loss in federal district court on Saturday, when a federal judge dismissed the campaign's attempt to invalidate millions of votes.

Say what you want about the voter fraud allegations, of which there are many, the legal course the Trump camp has taken has not been successful. At times, it’s been a bit out there. The allegations are numerous, but so far, the courts have not been convinced by the evidence presented. It’s a high bar, and no judge, no matter what stripe, is going to lower that bar with regards to tossing out ballots in such a contentious election. The evidence must be beyond ironclad, and it appears we don’t have it, partially because the ballot envelopes have been destroyed.

HELL YEAH--that's sketchy. But we're on the clock, and time is quickly running out.