Lawsuits filed by Trump and his cronies may still be around for months.
A day after rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by supporters of Donald Trump, his social media tweeted a statement on behalf of his boss, whose Twitter account had been frozen for the first time: "Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th."
But a number of lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election in the states, filed by Trump, his campaign, and some of his allies, are still active.
"We must get on with the business of America," Trump said in a video prerecorded after the deadly insurrection. "A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation."
But at the same time as he was saying, "We must revitalize the sacred bonds of love and loyalty that bind us together as one national family," the lawsuits filed with the aim of overturning election results in several states remained active.
Lawyers representing Trump and the other petitioners have asked the U.S. Supreme Court for writs of certiorari in the cases, meaning the court was taking them up, and requested that consideration of the cases be expedited. On Monday, the court rejected the requests for expedited review.
The court denied pleas to fast-track consideration of eight lawsuits filed in five states seeking to challenge the election of President-elect Joe Biden: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Half of the lawsuits were filed by Trump and his campaign; the other four were filed by Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward; Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly; attorney Lin Wood; and on behalf of Michigan Republican nominee electors by Wood, lawyer Sidney Powell, and others.
The nine justices' decision, without comment or noted dissents, means that the cases will not be considered before Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Even if the Supreme Court agrees to hear the election challenges, it probably won't be until the fall, the Associated Press noted, while CNBC reported it won't likely be before October, more than eight months into Biden's presidency.
Biden slammed Trump for using the courts to overturn the "will of the American people in a just, completed, free and fair election," saying during a press conference, "He was stunned, truly stunned, when the judges he appointed didn't do his bidding and instead acted with integrity, following the Constitution, upholding the rule of law."
Thus far 64 lawsuits aimed at overturning results of the 2020 presidential election have failed, according to lawyer Marc Elias, who has been closely tracking the cases.
"Trump and his allies have now lost an amazing SIXTY-FOUR separate post election lawsuits. This shatters all previous records for losing election lawsuits," Elias, founder of the voting rights advocacy platform Democracy Docket, tweeted Monday after the Trump campaign dropped a lawsuit it had filed in New Mexico.
Last Thursday, Trump and his allies dropped four lawsuits challenging Georgia's election results. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was named as a defendant, released a statement in response to the news, saying, "Rather than presenting their evidence and witnesses to a court and to cross-examination under oath, the Trump campaign wisely decided the smartest course was to dismiss their frivolous cases."
Trump's refusal to accept his defeat, as well as his repeated lies about a "stolen election," helped spur his followers to riot at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.
Right before the riot, Trump had told supporters at a rally, "We fight like Hell and if you don't fight like Hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. ... you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong."
Five people died as a result of the Capitol rampage, during which Trump supporters scaled walls, broke windows, and looted the Capitol building.
On Monday, three Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee, Reps. Ted Lieu (CA), David Cicilline (RI), and Jamie Raskin (MD), introduced one article of impeachment against Trump.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
