Arizona GOP Chair Takes Voter Fraud Lawsuit To Supreme Court

Topline

Arizona Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward will appeal a lawsuit alleging voter fraud and attempting to overturn the state’s election results to the U.S. Supreme Court, the chairwoman said Friday, marking the third Republican-led challenge to President-elect Joe Biden’s win that the court will weigh in on as the Electoral College vote rapidly approaches.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“Why does this need to go to the Supreme Court? Well, simply because we have not had due process…which is time to be able to make a case, do discovery and hold an entire hearing,” Ward said in a video message Friday, saying the state court judge “set unrealistic deadlines” by trying to resolve the case by the safe harbor deadline.

Tangent

Arizona Republicans have become fiercely divided by the election results, as some, like Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, have accepted Biden’s win, while others like Ward are actively fighting against it. Ward told Ducey on Twitter to “#STHU”, or “shut the hell up,” in response to the governor standing by the state’s vote count, for instance, to which Ducey later responded, “I think what I would say is the feeling’s mutual to her, and practice what you preach.”

Key Background

Ward’s Supreme Court appeal comes as the high court is already considering a controversial attempt by Texas to challenge the election results in four battleground states, and after the Supreme Court previously rejected a Pennsylvania suit opposing that state’s results Tuesday. Republicans have repeatedly made clear they want to take their election challenges to the Supreme Court, hoping the court’s 6-3 conservative tilt will ultimately throw the election to Trump. The Trump campaign and GOP’s post-election legal strategy to challenge Biden’s win has been overwhelmingly unsuccessful even with conservative judges, however, and Republicans have so far netted more than 50 court losses and only one minor win.

What To Watch For

Ward is also a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit in Arizona led by former Trump legal advisor Sidney Powell, which has failed in district court but is already being appealed. Powell has suggested she may attempt to take her legal challenge, which includes four separate battleground state lawsuits, to the U.S. Supreme Court as well.

Further Reading

Arizona Court Rejects GOP Attempt To Contest Election Results, Dealing Another Blow To Trump’s Efforts (Forbes)

Arizona Supreme Court rejects GOP effort to overturn election results, affirms Biden win in state (AZ Central)

GOP poll watchers testify about problems with duplicate ballots; fewer than 200 votes may be at stake (AZ Central)

Arizona GOP Asks If Republicans Are Ready To Die For Trump’s Voter Fraud Crusade (Forbes)

Sidney Powell’s Voter Fraud Claims Fail In All Battleground States As Arizona And Wisconsin Judges Reject Cases (Forbes)