Giuliani formally asks federal judge to give Pennsylvania's electors to Trump
Rudy Giuliani, representing President Trump's campaign, asked a federal judge Wednesday to declare Trump the winner in Pennsylvania, a state President-elect Joe Biden won by about 82,000 votes. Giuliani amended the campaign's court filing for a second time, seeking to put back in complaints Trump's previous legal team had removed Sunday about how close Trump's observers had been allowed during ballot counting. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court had unanimously rejected that claim Tuesday, a decision the Trump new campaign's filing stridently criticized.
Trump's campaign, Giuliani wrote, wants U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann to order that "the results of the 2020 presidential general election are defective and providing for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to choose Pennsylvania's electors," with the ultimate goal of "Trump being declared the winner of the legal votes cast in Pennsylvania in the 2020 general election, and, thus, the recipient of Pennsylvania's electors."
Biden won 306 electoral votes, meaning that if Pennsylvania's 20 electors were somehow moved into Trump's column, he would still have more than the 270 he needs to become president. Trump's campaign continues to pursue losing lawsuits in several states, but since it hasn't been able to prove fraud and can't disqualify enough ballots to reverse any states, Trump and Giuliani are "pivoting instead to a goal that appears equally unattainable: delaying a final count long enough to cast doubt on Biden's decisive victory," The Washington Post reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stalling certification long enough so GOP lawmakers can pick electors "appears impossible," since "it is against the law in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin law gives no role to the legislature in choosing presidential electors, and there is little public will in other states to pursue such a path," the Post reports. "Behind the thin legal gambit is what several Trump advisers say is his real goal: sowing doubt in Biden's victory with the president's most ardent supporters," raising money for his new PAC, and "keeping alive his prospects for another presidential run in 2024."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
