Journalists’ Roundtable: 12-11-20: Election challenges dismissed, GOP Twitter fights

Following last week’s Journalists’ Roundtable, Republicans continue to challenge election results in several states, with some taking the fight to Twitter. Covering the continuing discussion on this week’s Journalists’ Roundtable: Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services and Maria Polletta of The Arizona Republic.

This week’s Journalists’ Roundtable covered:

• Election Challenge Dismissed
• AG Files Brief in Texas Suit
• Attempts to Call State Hearings
• GOP vs. GOP Twitter Fight

Election Challenge Dismissed with “gusto”

Polletta: It was a 29 page ruling that just systematically dismantled the claims made in this lawsuit. This was filed by the plaintiffs, included all of the would-be electors in Arizona for Donald Trump including Arizona Republican party chair Kelly Ward… She said that giving them what they wanted, which was to decertify Arizona certified election results and to seize all the election or voting equipment would disenfranchise 3-million plus election voters who cast their votes.

Fischer: It is really important to recognize how badly Judge Humetewa was savage to the plaintiffs. For example, plaintiffs appended with 300 pages of attachments which were only impressive for their volume… She basically just took them apart piece-by-piece and, I think, she did that purposefully because she knew there would be an appeal to the U.S Supreme Court and she wanted to give the justices there a whole series of reason to go ahead and tell Kelly Ward and her elective friends exactly where to go.”

Judge Humetewa’s statement: “Allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court. They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona’s 2020 General Election. The court is left with no alternative but to dismiss this matter in its entirety.”

State Filings

Fischer: “The nature of Federalism is that the states are sovereign and somehow you cannot have one state interfere unless they are causing damage, like if California was stealing Arizona’s water. But the argument is somehow by allowing illegal votes in Pennsylvania, you’ve diluted legal votes of Texans and therefore changing the election

GOP vs. GOP Twitter Fight

Polletta: “These tensions, of course, have been simmering for quite a while… last Friday on Twitter was something else as Rep. Andy Biggs posting something to the effect wondering aloud, if the governor was going to forcibly vaccinate Arizonans against COVID which is what prompted, of course, that response from Scarpinato from his chief of staff. Then you have his former chief of staff, Kirk Adams, chiming in after Senator-elect Kelly Townsend called for Scarpinato’s resignations, Kirk Adams called for her immediate counseling. So you have it cycling through and it’s just building on top animosity between Ducey and GOP chair Kelly Ward.