The Corner

Law & the Courts

And With That . . . the Legal Challenges to the 2020 Election Are Exhausted

The Kraken will not be arriving.

In two sentences, the U.S. Supreme Court wrote in an order, “the State of Texas’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”

Justices Alito and Thomas dissented in part on procedure, contending that in their view the court does “not have discretion to deny the filing of a bill of complaint in a case that falls within our original jurisdiction.” They said they would “grant the motion to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief, and express no view on any other issue.”

And that . . . is all they wrote. The vast majority of legal observers and laymen will not be surprised. The legal challenges to the vote counts and selection of electors to the Electoral College appear to be exhausted.

The 2020 presidential election is over. Joe Biden won 306 electoral votes, and the Electoral College meets Monday. Biden will be sworn in as president on January 20, 2021.

Most Popular

Politics & Policy

Obama III

This is not a third Obama term. —Joe Biden, November 24, 2020 He has a funny way of showing it. Biden’s recent moves provide little comfort for Americans looking for a way out of the polarization, acrimony, catastrophism, and hysteria that have characterized politics lo these many years. Not only is ... Read More
Politics & Policy

Obama III

This is not a third Obama term. —Joe Biden, November 24, 2020 He has a funny way of showing it. Biden’s recent moves provide little comfort for Americans looking for a way out of the polarization, acrimony, catastrophism, and hysteria that have characterized politics lo these many years. Not only is ... Read More
Law & the Courts

Texas Unleashes an Absurd Kraken

The odds of the Texas election lawsuit prevailing in the Supreme Court might not be less than one in a quadrillion, but they are extremely remote -- and should be. Texas is asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the presidential election in four battleground states won by Joe Biden because, it argues, election ... Read More
Law & the Courts

Texas Unleashes an Absurd Kraken

The odds of the Texas election lawsuit prevailing in the Supreme Court might not be less than one in a quadrillion, but they are extremely remote -- and should be. Texas is asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the presidential election in four battleground states won by Joe Biden because, it argues, election ... Read More
Law & the Courts

Barr’s Critics Should Reconsider

On the menu today: Attorney General William Barr kept the investigation of Hunter Biden secret until after the election, which blows up a lot of the demonization and criticism of him since he stepped into the Department of Justice; the Food and Drug Administration expects to start jabbing Americans with the ... Read More
Law & the Courts

Barr’s Critics Should Reconsider

On the menu today: Attorney General William Barr kept the investigation of Hunter Biden secret until after the election, which blows up a lot of the demonization and criticism of him since he stepped into the Department of Justice; the Food and Drug Administration expects to start jabbing Americans with the ... Read More
Law & the Courts

The Glory of Trump’s Judges

One of President Donald Trump’s foremost achievements has been to erect a formidable obstacle to his own post-election legal challenges. The federal judiciary, now seeded throughout with Trump-nominated judges, has given the back of its hand to pro-Trump election litigation, with Trump judges issuing notably ... Read More
Law & the Courts

The Glory of Trump’s Judges

One of President Donald Trump’s foremost achievements has been to erect a formidable obstacle to his own post-election legal challenges. The federal judiciary, now seeded throughout with Trump-nominated judges, has given the back of its hand to pro-Trump election litigation, with Trump judges issuing notably ... Read More