“A Lengthy Legal Battle in North Carolina Could Show How to Flip an Election”

election subversion risk, judicial elections

NYT:

For months, Republicans in North Carolina have tried to do what President Trump and his allies could not in 2020: overturn an election that did not go their way.

What began as a sprawling effort to throw out 65,000 votes from the state’s Supreme Court election in November has shrunk to a legal skirmish over a small fraction of those ballots. But even as Republicans’ path to victory has narrowed, the final outcome still hangs in the balance.

And even if the Democratic candidate’s victory is not reversed, the battle may have sketched a blueprint for overturning future elections.

Never before, legal experts from both parties say, has a losing candidate gained so much legal traction in trying to nullify votes cast by people who followed every instruction given to them, both when they registered to vote and when they submitted their ballots. Federal and state judges have shown a willingness to entertain Republican challenges of votes in Democratic-leaning areas that focused on technicalities and sought to reinterpret voting laws long after Election Day.

The episode, which in many ways is an acceleration of the right-wing movement challenging the 2020 presidential election, could encourage election challenges from candidates who lose fairly but are inclined to fight the outcome. More races could be subject to litigation after the polls close, as candidates try to wipe out votes with help from friendly courts and deep-pocketed legal campaigns.

“The stakes are far greater than one seat on the State Supreme Court,” said Bob Orr, who served on the North Carolina Supreme Court as a Republican but has since left the party to become unaffiliated. He likened some of the recent judicial decisions clearing a path for votes to be tossed out retroactively to “opening up a Pandora’s box.”

“You’ve got a set of rules, and you don’t wait until the ballgame is over and then say, ‘Oh, by the way, I think we need to change the rules and change the score,’” Mr. Orr added….

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“Trump-aligned club for the ultra rich launches in Washington”

campaign finance, lobbying

Politico:

A new club is coming to Washington — and you probably can’t get in.

Donald Trump Jr., megadonor Omeed Malik and several other investors are launching an invite-only club that costs more than half a million to join with an exclusive post-White House Correspondents’ Dinner gathering, according to an invite obtained by POLITICO and two people with knowledge of the venture, granted anonymity to discuss the private organization.

The “Executive Branch” is the brainchild of Malik and the president’s eldest son, and their partners at conservative fund 1789 Capital. It will be located in Georgetown.

Their goal, the people familiar with the plans say, is to create the highest-end private club that Washington has ever had, and cater to the business and tech moguls who are looking to nurture their relationships with the Trump administration.

The referral requirements and prohibitive pricing is meant to ensure the C-suite crowd can mingle with Trump advisers and cabinet members without the prying eyes of the press and wanna-be insiders. The price tag won’t be a problem for Trump’s cabinet — given it’s by far the wealthiest in history.

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“The Federal Election Commission Is Facing a De Facto Shutdown”

campaign finance

NOTUS:

The Federal Election Commission will soon lose its powers to enforce and regulate campaign finance laws, NOTUS has learned.

This de facto FEC shutdown will be triggered when Republican Commissioner Allen Dickerson resigns on Wednesday, leaving the six-member FEC with too few commissioners to legally conduct high-level business, three government sources familiar with the matter said.

The independent, bipartisan agency won’t be legally empowered to fine scofflaws, make new rules, conduct audits, issue advisory guidance, vote on the outcomes of investigations or even conduct formal meetings — at least until President Donald Trump nominates one or more new commissioners that the U.S. Senate, in turn, must confirm.

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“Democrat is nearly boo’ed out of hour-long town hall as voters bash her for supporting SAVE voting rights act”

social media and social protests, voter id

Independent:

A Washington state Democrat came under fire during a town hall after backing a bill that would require voters to prove their citizenship when casting a ballot.

On Thursday, U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez walked into a town hall attended by hundreds of her constituents in Vancouver and was met with resounding boos.

Voters were upset she’d voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and other pieces of legislation.

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“Convicted cardinal wants to vote for pope, his brother prelates must decide”

comparative election law, felon voting, voting

Reuters:

Cardinals in meetings ahead of the start of a secret conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis are scratching the hair under their red skull caps as they try to decide whether a cardinal convicted of embezzlement and fraud can join in the vote.

Their quandary concerns Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who in December 2023 was sentenced to 5-1/2 years in jail. He was the most senior Catholic Church official ever to stand trial before a Vatican criminal court.

Becciu has denied all wrongdoing and is appealing the court’s ruling. The Italian cardinal, who is free pending his appeal, confirmed in a conversation with Reuters on Thursday night that he felt he should be allowed into the conclave.

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“Long-running legal saga over N.C. Supreme Court race could pave way for future election challenges, critics warn”

election subversion risk, judicial elections, voting

NBC News:

Nearly six months after the North Carolina Supreme Court election took place, the contest still hasn’t been called and a winner still hasn’t been certified.

That’s almost entirely due to a barrage of litigation from Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin, who sued for more than 65,000 ballots to be thrown out after they had been cast, triggering a sprawling legal saga that is testing some of the most solid precedents of election law. The effort, if successful, could be more than enough to swing the results of the election, as Griffin currently trails Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs by roughly 700 votes.

But even if the push ultimately falls short, Griffin’s critics, who include members of both parties, say it could have long-lasting consequences and pave the way for more candidates to pursue challenges — no matter how legally questionable — to the results of elections decided by narrow margins.

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