UTAH, Nov. 6, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announced Friday morning he is now on “personal leave time” to help support lawsuits involving states with “compromised election process.”
“Despite months of predictions about a “blue wave,” @GOP kept the Senate & expanded seats in the House,” Reyes wrote in a Twitter post issued at 8:54 a.m. Friday. “Biden & his allies know @POTUS will win if only verified #legal votes are counted. We are making sure that happens, but looks like courts may have to decide that. #RuleOfLaw”
“On personal leave time to help prepare and support litigation in several states dealing with compromised election process,” Reyes tweeted at 9:02 a.m.
As ballots continue to be counted, Pres. Donald Trump has said Democrats are trying to steal the election from him by counting fraudulent ballots, a claim for which he offered no factual evidence.
State and federal officials interviewed across the nation reported no instances of voter fraud.
Trump has said lawsuits would be filed against several states in which he did not win the election, and lawsuits have been filed by officials from his reelection campaign.
On Thursday, a Georgia judge dismissed a Trump campaign lawsuit that alleged ballots received after a 7 p.m. Election Day deadline were mixed in with legitimate ballots.
“The court finds that there is no evidence that the ballots referenced in the petition were received after 7 p.m. on (Election Day), thereby making those ballots invalid,” Judge James F. Bass wrote in his decision.
Also on Thursday, a Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled against a challenge filed by Trump’s campaign as to how absentee ballot counting was handled, according to reports. Judge Cynthia Stephens said the Trump campaign did not provide evidence to support the case.
“On this factual record, I have no basis to find that there’s a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as relates to this defendant, nor am I convinced that there is a clear legal duty on behalf of anyone who is properly before this court to manage this issue,” Stephens wrote.
Trump’s reelection campaign has announced it will file a federal lawsuit challenging the validity of election results in Nevada. His campaign alleged thousands of illegitimate mail-in ballots have been cast, including by dead voters, and by people who don’t live in Nevada.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who holds a slim lead in Nevada, would win the presidency if he gets Nevada’s six electoral votes.
Reyes, who won reelection in Tuesday’s election, did not disclose in his tweets what his role would be in supporting lawsuits challenging states in which Biden won or is expected to win the electoral votes.
Twitter users had dramatic responses to Reyes’ announcements, some supporting his decision and many strongly against it. To read the response tweets, click here.
