A law firm representing the Trump campaign in its challenges to the Pennsylvania election results has notified that it is withdrawing from one of the cases.
Attorneys for Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP filed a filing Thursday night stating that they were retiring as attorneys in a federal lawsuit that sought to prevent Pennsylvania from certifying its vote. No reason was given. In a statement issued Friday, the firm confirmed the filing but did not say why it was dropping the case.
“We are committed to the court to meet our obligations as necessary to ensure transition to a substitute attorney and not to have a material adverse effect on the client’s interests,” said Porter Wright. “We will have no further comment.”
Porter Wright is one of two law firms targeted by the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who oppose President Donald J. Trump, or his work on lawsuits challenging the election results. The campaign included encouraging people to email lawyers about the cases.
While the presentation indicated that Trump consented to the pullout, a campaign spokesman blamed “cancellation culture” for Porter Wright’s departure.
“Left-wing mobs pounced on some of the attorneys representing the president’s campaign and they relented,” said Tim Murtaugh, the campaign’s communications director. “If the target were anyone other than Donald Trump, the media would be screaming about injustice and the fundamental right to legal representation. The president’s team is unfazed and will go ahead with rock solid attorneys to ensure free and fair elections for all Americans. “
A hearing on the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit is scheduled for Tuesday in federal court in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Another attorney who does not work for Porter Wright will remain in the Williamsport case, according to the filing. The lawsuit claims that the state’s election results are suspect because the campaign did not have adequate access to observe the vote count in Democratic-leaning counties.
Porter Wright has also been representing the campaign in a case heading to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that similarly challenges vote counts based on poll watchers’ access to the counting process. In addition, he filed several county-level challenges to disqualify the ballots he alleged were defective. It is unclear whether Porter Wright also intends to back out of those remarks.
The firm’s work for the campaign was led by Ronald Hicks, a partner in the firm’s Pittsburgh office and co-chair of its election law practice. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jones Day has also been criticized for representing the Pennsylvania Republican Party by trying to exclude from the state count ballots that arrived after Nov. 3, even if they were mailed before Election Day.
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