CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is joining an effort asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider irregularities and unconstitutional actions in this year’s election.
“Many Americans and West Virginians have seen their confidence in the electoral system undermined as they watch one report after another outlining the many, many problems with the 2020 elections," Morrisey said in a December 9 statement. That must change.
“Today, I am announcing my support of Texas’ request before the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the many irregular, highly problematic and unconstitutional actions that have occurred in the states during the 2020 elections. We are joining a brief with a number of my colleagues, which will be filed at the U.S. Supreme Court this afternoon.
Maynard
“America and West Virginia deserve to get to the bottom of these really troubling issues. I urge the U.S. Supreme Court to carefully consider Texas’ and the states’ requests.”
On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the action against four battleground states seeking to stop the electoral college from finalizing Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential race. Paxton alleges the four states – Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enacted last-minute changes, skewing the results of the 2020 General Election.
“Trust in the integrity of our election processes is sacrosanct and binds our citizenry and the States in this Union together,” Paxton said. “Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin destroyed that trust and compromised the security and integrity of the 2020 election."
State Sen. Mark Maynard (R-Wayne) said he asked Morrisey to consider joining the suit Tuesday when he first heard about it.
“I had constituents reach out to me about it,” said Maynard, who co-chaired Trump’s 2016 campaign in West Virginia. “They were asking what needed to be done to make sure West Virginia joined in with Texas. So, I got ahold of the AG and asked him to join the lawsuit.”
Maynard said he wasn’t sure how many other lawmakers contacted Morrisey as well, but he knew at least one delegate (Republican Gary Howell) had done so.
“My reasoning is multifaceted,” Maynard told The Record. “First, I don’t agree with the ideals of Biden and his campaign, especially the death of the non-free market capitalist approach to government and the Green New Deal.
“And with all the reports of voter fraud that I’ve heard – 110 percent voter turnout, 118-year-olds voting, Trump getting 10 million more votes than in 2016 and still losing. Listen, I’m a firm believer in democracy, and I’d accept a straight-up loss. But, there are all these rumors and reports of fraud.
“My question is with the validity of the actual votes that were counted. I think it’s right to question things.”
According to the filing, the battleground states flooded residents with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted.
“The states violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures, thereby violating the constitution,” Paxton said. “By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections. Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election.
“We now ask that the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error.”
Elections for federal office must comport with federal constitutional standards. For presidential elections, each state must appoint its electors to the electoral college in a manner that complies with the constitution.
The Electors Clause requirement that only state legislatures may set the rules governing the appointment of electors and elections and cannot be delegated to local officials.
Paxton says the majority of the rushed decisions, made by local officials, were not approved by the state legislatures, thereby circumventing the constitution.
