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Kathleen Kratt of Orlando, Florida and a supporter of US President Donald Trump holds a flag in front of the Supreme Court as the court reviews a lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to undo President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory in Washington. , United States, December 11, 2020. REUTERS / Joshua Roberts
WASHINGTON – On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court abruptly ended a lawsuit brought by Texas and backed by President Donald Trump that sought to discard the results of voting in four states, a crushing setback in its quest for undo his electoral defeat to President-elect Joe Biden.
The justices in a brief order rejected Texas’ offer to present the extraordinary challenge directed at Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin directly to the Supreme Court, as is allowed in some cases of inter-state litigation under a legal doctrine called “original jurisdiction.” .
The order said that Texas had no legal capacity to file the claim.
“Texas has not demonstrated a judicially recognizable interest in the way another state conducts its elections,” the court said in the unsigned order.
US President Donald Trump carries an umbrella while boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, October 12, 2020. REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst / File photo
Two of the court’s conservatives, Judge Samuel Alito and Judge Clarence Thomas, said they would have allowed Texas to sue, but they would not have stopped the four states from finalizing their election results.
The case was brought Tuesday by the Republican attorney general of Texas, a Trump ally, against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Republican president filed a motion Wednesday to intervene and become a plaintiff.
The four states in a court filing on Thursday asked justices to reject the lawsuit, which they said had no factual or legal basis.
The Trump campaign and its allies had already lost numerous lawsuits in state and federal courts challenging the election results. Trump has falsely claimed that he won the November 3 election and has made unsubstantiated accusations of widespread electoral fraud and a “rigged” system against him. State election officials have said they have found no evidence of such fraud. Attorneys for Trump and his allies have presented no evidence in court of the type of fraud he has alleged.
Texas has asked justices to dismiss the election results in all four states. Biden won all four states. Trump had won them in the 2016 election.
All four states in a court filing Thursday asked justices to reject the lawsuit, which they said had no factual or legal basis.
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