Georgia Federal Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is in controversy over a temporary restraining order issued Monday by Georgia Federal Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner against a Republican attempt to remove some voters from the rolls ahead of a special Senate election in January. Judge Gardner is the sister of Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who founded the right-wing advocacy group Fairfight.
Georgia’s election process is under close scrutiny at both the national and local levels. President Donald Trump claimed that he had won the state presidential election despite numerous ballot counts, all of which showed Biden the winner. In January, Georgia is expected to hold special elections for two Senate seats. The outcome of that election will determine which party gains control of the Senate. Trump’s widespread voter fraud claims have so far been unsatisfactory, with Georgia reporting some minor cases of voting irregularities.
In December, Muscovite County Republican Party President Ralph Russell challenged the residential eligibility of 4,033 voters. Russell alleged in his filing that the individuals “moved to a location outside Moscow County, which was moved to another state with the intention of making the new state their home.” Russell claimed those voters were not eligible to vote in the January runoff election.
The Democratic challenge to file Russell came from Majority Forward, a voting advocacy group, which claimed that Russell used a false change of address of the U.S. Postal Service to support his allegations. Judge Gardner backed the Democratic group and allowed voters named in Russell’s lawsuit to vote in the January election.
“While the court acknowledges that the restraining order may impose a burden on defendants in their role in conducting the ongoing election,” Gardner ruled, “the harm is greater than the right to vote to those who have been wrongly barred or denied.”
In a statement Monday, Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Rafansperger called Gardner’s ruling a “direct attack on the rule of law in Georgia and the integrity of elections in this state.” Raff Fensperger accused Gardner of ignoring aspects of Georgia’s election law that could work in favor of Republicans in his ruling.
According to the roll call, a majority forward is the for-profit arm of the Democrat-affiliated Senate Majority PAC. Fairfight, an organization founded by Abrams, donated 2.5 2.5 million to the Senate Majority PAC. Raff Fensperger made a connection between Abram’s economic activities and Gardner’s judgment.
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“It is very relevant that a judge will rule on a case brought by a group funded by his sister,” Refensparger added.
Because of his involvement with Abrams, Gardner was asked by Republicans to withdraw from the case in Muscogee County and Ben Hill County, which was also influenced by Gardner’s ruling. According to the recurrence request, Abrams’ involvement in several voting lawsuits gave him “a clear interest in the outcome of the proceedings,” which left outside observers with “significant suspicions about Judge Gardner’s bias in the circumstances.”
Newsweek Reached Fair Fight for comment.
Gardner refused to give up, despite the opportunity. “The court has reviewed the motion and found no basis for reconstruction,” Gardner wrote. “An order detailing the court’s reasoning is forthcoming.”
Despite being a member of the same political party, Trump has criticized Fencesperger for how Georgia conducts its elections. In December, Trump tweeted that if Republican senators Kelly Lofler and David Purdue lost the election, Rafansperger would be “fully responsible.” Trump has also accused Rafensperger, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan of “RINOS.” [Republicans In Name Only]”
Trump also targeted Georgia election officials after losing the state to Biden. In the ballot count itself in November, more than, 000,000 ballots were found which did not take length in the original tabulation. However, not enough ballots have been invented to change the election results.
Appearing at a December campaign rally in support of Loffler and Perdue, Trump warned that the Senate election could be the subject of manipulation. Trump told the crowd, “They cheated and they rigged our presidential election but we will still win it.” “And they will try even harder in this election.”
