Thread by @johnkruzel

⚖️STARTING NOW: Hearing in Donald J. Trump For President, Inc. et al v. Boockvar et al (Pennsylvania election lawsuit)

A lawyer repping PA's SecState Kathy Boockvar, Daniel Donovan of Kirkland Ellis, taking lead for defendants

It appears Rudy Giuliani will do the same for Trump campaign

The hearing concerns defendants' motion to dismiss and will center on Trump campaign's equal protection claim

Giuliani speaking now...references "widespread nationwide voter fraud" (not based in fact)

Giuliani cites Jimmy Carter, James Baker and the NYT as authorities who have said mail voting is especially susceptible to fraud

Here's the Trump campaign's equal protect argument in their amended complaint, for reference

Thrust of Giuliani's argument is that voters from heavily Democratic areas of PA who initially submitted ballots with critical info missing were more likely to be given a chance to fix, or "cure," defective ballots, while voters in more red parts had less opportunity to cure

Meanwhile, he's making frequent digressions about Trump allies being denied an adequate opportunity to observe the process

GIULIANI: "This is America. You're going to arrest someone because he wants to observe a ballot to make sure that his candidate isn't being cheated in a place that's well known for cheating?"

Giuliani says if the Trump lawsuit survives the motion to dismiss, he has hundreds of affidavits to submit as evidence. He's now proferring evidence to the court and describing the various exhibits aloud, e.g., a photo of an observer in Philly being forced to stand 20 feet away

NOW UP: Lawyer repping PA's SecState Kathy Boockvar, Daniel Donovan of Kirkland Ellis

Donovan dings Giuliani for arguing points that were omitted from Trump camp's amended complaint, particularly the canvassing observation point that Giuliani spent a good deal of time discussing

Donovan blasts the amended complaint for what it has *failed* to allege. No claim that: any qualified PA voter cast more than one ballot that was counted; that any qualified voter who submitted a mail ballot was wrongly rejected...

No claim that: anyone not eligible to vote in fact voted; no claim of voter fraud that affects equal protection

Donovan now methodically walking thru the requirements needed for plaintiff to show they have standing (i.e., the legal right to sue)