Attorneys general from other states expected to join Texas election lawsuit

(The Center Square) – State attorneys general from other states are likely to join Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against four states – filed with the U.S Supreme Court on Tuesday – if the court agrees to hear the election-related case.

At least seven states might join Texas’ lawsuit: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and South Dakota, The Spectator reports that.

Texas Republican Party Chairman Colonel Allen West told America’s Voice News that 10 states would likely join.

“The unconstitutional actions and fraudulent votes in other states not only affect the citizens of those states, they affect the citizens of all states – of the entire United States,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Tuesday, indicating he would join Texas’ case if the Supreme Court agrees to hear it.

Four justices must agree for the court to hear a case. The Electoral College is scheduled to vote Dec. 14. In the election case brought before the Supreme Court in 2000, the court ruled on Dec. 12.

“Millions of Louisiana citizens, and tens of millions of our fellow citizens in the country, have deep concerns regarding the conduct of the 2020 federal elections,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement. “Deeply rooted in these concerns is the fact that some states appear to have conducted their elections with a disregard to the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, many Louisianans have become more frustrated as some in media and the political class try to sidestep legitimate issues for the sake of expediency.”

Weeks ago, on behalf of the citizens of Louisiana, Landry’s office joined many other states in filing a legal brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to look into the conduct of how Pennsylvania’s election was conducted.

Citing Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, Landry argued, “The power for the conduct of federal elections is held by the State Legislatures in each state. In states like Pennsylvania, the judicial branch attempted to seize control of these duties and obligations and to set their own rules. These actions appear to be unconstitutional.”

He added, “Only the U.S. Supreme Court can ultimately decide cases of real controversy among the states under our Constitution.”

President Donald Trump vowed to intervene in the Texas case, tweeting on Wednesday, “We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!”

Who would be intervening, and how, was not specified.

In another tweet, Trump said, “This was not my case as has been so incorrectly reported. The case that everyone has been waiting for is the State’s case with Texas and numerous others joining. It is very strong, ALL CRITERIA MET. How can you have a presidency when a vast majority think the election was RIGGED?”

Trump was referring to a case brought by Republican Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly against the state of Pennsylvania, which the Supreme Court rejected to hear on Tuesday.

Article 3, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states that the Supreme Court can hear cases brought by one state against another without first going to a lower court.

Paxton told Fox News’ Sean Hannity, “Our request is we want to be heard” before the U.S. Supreme Court. “… We’re pleading with the U.S. Supreme Court, please hear our case. Give us a chance at least to argue what we think is right. We want to argue the Constitution.”

Texas’ complaint claims that the states of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin “exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enact[ed] last-minute changes, thus skewing the results of the 2020 General Election. The battleground states flooded their people with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted.

“Trust in the integrity of our election processes is sacrosanct and binds our citizenry and the States in this Union together,” the complaint states. “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.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel responded in a statement, saying, “The motion filed by the Texas Attorney General is a publicity stunt, not a serious legal pleading. The erosion of confidence in our democratic system isn’t attributable to the good people of Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia or Pennsylvania but rather to partisan officials, like Mr. Paxton, who place loyalty to a person over loyalty to their country.

“The Michigan issues raised in this complaint have already been thoroughly litigated and roundly rejected in both state and federal courts – by judges appointed from both political parties. Mr. Paxton’s actions are beneath the dignity of the office of Attorney General and the people of the great state of Texas.”