LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – After issuing a verbal ruling tossing out the lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens released her written ruling Friday
On Thursday Judge Stephens Thursday ruled the Trump campaign’s lawsuit was unlikely to succeed on the merits.
The Trump camp was asking that Benson order local election officials to allow challengers to “meaningfully participate and oversee” the voting and counting process.
During the hearing conducted via a Zoom call, Judge Stevens said that while Benson is responsible for overseeing the election process in Michigan, she would not be able to provide the relief the Trump campaign is seeking, as the counting process was largely completed.
The Trump campaign’s counsel, Thor Hearne, also presented an affidavit where a local election official said he was told by a poll worker that she had been instructed to change the receipt date on a ballot, which was a day late, to reflect that it had actually been received on Election Day.
Stevens dismissed this incident as “hearsay,” asserting that the affiant did not have firsthand knowledge of the situation.
The Trump campaign also alleged that one of its election observers had been excluded from the counting process.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s Press Secretary Ryan Jarvi released the following statement Friday:
“The Trump campaign’s lawsuit demonstrates either a failed attempt by plaintiffs to cobble together a legitimate claim, or their clear lack of understanding of Michigan’s election laws. The Court correctly described the campaign’s claims as nothing more than hearsay, and our office will ask the Court to dismiss this meritless lawsuit. The will of voters is what matters in this election, and their ballots in Michigan have been counted in a transparent, fair and accurate manner.”
