Hours after a federal judge in Michigan REJECTED their election-toppling request, Lin Wood and Sidney Powell go to another U.S. judge seeking to overturn Georgia's results.
I'll cover the hearing for @LawCrimeNews in this thread.
Judge Batten recites the conspiracy theory behind the lawsuit and repeats Ga. officials' question:
"Why would Georgia's Republican governor and Republican Secretary of State," whom he notes are Trump supporters, "conspire to throw the election" to POTUS-elect Biden?
It's a question that many people are thinking, Judge Batten notes.
Judge Batten explains the doctrine of laches, which has killed many a Trump suit.
"The law is pretty clear that a party cannot obtain the extraordinary remedy of injunctive relief unless he acts quickly."
Judge Batten notes that Lin Wood and Sidney Powell ask him to throw out the election and declare Trump the winner.
He says he will hear arguments on the motion to dismiss now, before addressing technical difficulties leading to a scratchy backdrop.
Ga.'s attorney Carey Miller says the same is true of the suit where Lin Wood appeared as a plaintiff rather than a lawyer, and Trump-appointed Judge Grimberg rejected his request on laches, and other grounds. lawandcrime.com/2020-election/…
Correction:
GA's attorney who is up now is Joshua Barrett Belinfante.
Carey Miller is addressing a different aspect of the arguments later, Belinfante just noted.
With audio hearings, these mix-ups happen. Onwards.
Attorney Amanda R. Callais is up now on behalf of various Democratic entities:
"Plaintiffs have failed to state any cognizable claim."
"Over a month ago, 5 million Georgians cast their ballots in the 2020 elections, with the majority choosing Joseph R. Biden."
Callais: Those votes were counted by hand and recounted.
"At this point, there is simply no question" the POTUS-elect Joe Biden won the election and earned all of the electors in Georgia.
Callais:
"When we talk about a possibility of fraud, that does not mean that fraud actually occurred."
"That is not in their complaint. That is not in their evidence."
A Michigan judge noted the same in her rejection of the injunction.
Echoing the Trump-appointed Third Circuit judge who threw out a similar suit, Callais says:
“Voters, not lawyers, choose the President. Ballots, not briefs, decide elections.”
In finding that this court cannot grant this relief, the court would not be alone. It'd be in good company.
Context from me: Trump and his allies have lost dozens like it.
Callais: "There have been more than 30 challenges to this election that have been dismissed."
It would be in good company of a judge "right down the hall from here," referring to Trump-appointed Judge Grimberg's rejection of Lin Wood's election-toppling bid.
The difference between the suit where Judge Grimberg rejected relief and this one is that the one being heard now seeks broader disenfranchisement, Callais notes.
Sidney Powell is up, claiming "abject fraud" committed and lying about Dominion's ties to deceased Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.
Note: It isn't.
Dominion's Q&A on Powell's fever dreams:
"The company has no ownership ties whatsoever to UBS, or the governments of China, Cuba, or Venezuela." dominionvoting.com/election2020-s…
Judge presses Powell showing she's going to the wrong court.
Powell claims she has the right to go to this federal court.
Judge asks her to address finding: "We cannot turn back the clock and create a world where the 2020 elections were not certified."
Yes we can, Powell says.
Powell claims Bush v. Gore stands for that proposition.
(That decision allowed a certification for Bush by a narrow margin to stand; it decertified nothing.)
Trump lost Georgia by more than 11K.
Judge: Even if you won here, how would this not be moot because wouldn't Trump still lose even if he won Georgia.
Powell, imaginatively. "Yes, [Trump] can win the election... It is nowhere near over."
Powell recites an alphabet soup of conspiracy theories that defy live-tweeting.
Powell:
"That is why it is so important that we at least get temporary relief to at least examine the systems."
They want to "examine" the machines to seek evidence to substantiate the far-flung conspiracy theories.
Judge Batten tells Sidney Powell that "rule of law" requires courts to follow procedure and precedent.
Judge Batten tells Sidney Powell that she has a "glib" response to 11th Circuit precedent prohibiting the hearing of "freewheeling" theories and grievances.
"Why shouldn't the state of Georgia investigate this? Why should a federal judge?"
Judge Batten on her client's standing: "It doesn't sound like your clients are special."
Rebuttal argument debunks Sidney Powell's fake history and fake law of Bush v. Gore:
"Bush v. Gore stayed a Florida recount. It did not decertify a Florida election."
Rebuttal:
"They tell you the voters lack confidence in the election system."
He notes that courts have stuck with the state of Georgia.
"The state is doing what it can to enhance public confidence, that's why we did the extra step of a hand count."
Judge Batten said "even if he accepted" the conspiracy theories as true, he must dismiss.
Allowing it to stand would be "judicial activism," he says.
Julia Haller introduces herself for Sidney Powell's firm
Judge Humetewa asks the plaintiffs to clarify the significance of the fact that today is Safe Harbor Day and wants to know the status of the plaintiffs.
"Some were electors. Others were registered voters. The complaint isn't clear with respect to whom is who."
A federal judge in Michigan SLAPS DOWN the Kraken in that state, denying an election-overturning restraining order.
"The People have spoken," U.S. District Judge Linda Parker wrote in a ruling filed well after midnight.
"In fact, this lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek—as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court—and more about the impact of their allegations on People’s faith in the democratic 36 process and their trust in our government."
The ruling on the case being moot:
"This case represents well the phrase: 'this ship has sailed.'"
For those asking, the public record on Mr. Wood's purported 501(c)4 is scant.
It was incorporated in Texas through a local subsidiary of a Dutch information company on Aug. 12 of this year, too soon for a Form 990 to become available.
I asked his attorney to provide his Form 1024-a, which must be made publicly available.
His attorney said Wood didn't file one, but instead filed a non-accessible Form 8976.
As one expert explained: “By filing form 8976, all they’ve done is announced they exist."
Bear in mind, these are only the campaign's spending.
Trump Victory has another long set of Trump disbursements, like $294,019.95 paid to Trump Hotel Collection on Nov. 12, after Trump was the declared the loser. docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/…
Trump Victory is a joint fundraising committee, meaning that other big GOP interests are benefiting—incentivizing their dragging this out.
"A billionaire San Francisco real estate developer, Sanford Diller, enlisted their help in securing clemency for a Berkeley psychologist, Hugh L. Baras" —
Whose name, let the record show, ends with an "s."
As for which S-ending name it was, it goes to show that internet guesswork tends to be wrong. It's better to pursue firsthand information or wait for the story to develop.