Judge dismisses Gohmert's attempt to force Pence to decide election
Judge dismisses Gohmert's attempt to force Pence to decide election
By Caroline Linton 1 hr ago
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas that sought to empower Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally decide the 2020 election results rather than have Congress count the electoral votes on January 6. Pence and the Department of Justice on Thursday had urged the court to reject Gohmert's lawsuit, saying the power lies with the House and the Senate.
U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Kernodle of the Eastern District of Texas said the plaintiffs lack "standing" to sue, since they claim "institutional injury" to the House of Representatives, but "that is insufficient to support standing."
The court also said Gohmert "does not identify any injury to himself as an individual, but rather a 'wholly abstract and widely dispersed' institutional injury to the House of Representatives."
On Saturday, a three-judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's ruling. In the one-paragraph ruling the judges wrote "We need say no more," but also noted, "We express no view on the underlying merits."
The appeals court ruled so quickly that the plaintiffs' request for an expedited decision was rendered moot.
The House and the Senate are set to count the Electoral College votes on January 6, an event that usually draws little fanfare. But some of President Trump's supporters are using it as a last-ditch attempt to overturn the election results.
Gohmert had claimed in the lawsuit that Pence has the "sole" power to decide the outcome of the election, and Gohmert claimed he had 140 House members willing to object to the election results.
READ MORE: Judge dismisses Gohmert's attempt to force Pence to decide election https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ju...
By Caroline Linton 1 hr ago
A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas that sought to empower Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally decide the 2020 election results rather than have Congress count the electoral votes on January 6. Pence and the Department of Justice on Thursday had urged the court to reject Gohmert's lawsuit, saying the power lies with the House and the Senate.
U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Kernodle of the Eastern District of Texas said the plaintiffs lack "standing" to sue, since they claim "institutional injury" to the House of Representatives, but "that is insufficient to support standing."
The court also said Gohmert "does not identify any injury to himself as an individual, but rather a 'wholly abstract and widely dispersed' institutional injury to the House of Representatives."
On Saturday, a three-judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's ruling. In the one-paragraph ruling the judges wrote "We need say no more," but also noted, "We express no view on the underlying merits."
The appeals court ruled so quickly that the plaintiffs' request for an expedited decision was rendered moot.
The House and the Senate are set to count the Electoral College votes on January 6, an event that usually draws little fanfare. But some of President Trump's supporters are using it as a last-ditch attempt to overturn the election results.
Gohmert had claimed in the lawsuit that Pence has the "sole" power to decide the outcome of the election, and Gohmert claimed he had 140 House members willing to object to the election results.
READ MORE: Judge dismisses Gohmert's attempt to force Pence to decide election https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ju...
Hey Steve, It looks like Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas BULL💩 fell apart in The Court, yesterday.