As the disgraced former president found, words have consequences. Wait, who are we kidding? The Orange Orb of Lies never learned that. And certainly the consequences he faced were far disproportionate from the word garbage he spewed for four years. But now nine lawyers who brought a lawsuit against the state of Michigan over 2020 presidential election results to favor Trump over Biden have been seen as the sham they were by U.S. District Judge Linda Parker. Judge Parker has asked the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan to each count up the costs they incurred defending the lawsuit and submit those totals to her within 14 days.
via Yahoo!:
"Despite the haze of confusion, commotion and chaos counsel intentionally attempted to create by filing this lawsuit, one thing is perfectly clear: Plaintiffs' attorneys have scorned their oath, flouted the rules, and attempted to undermine the integrity of the judiciary along the way," Parker said in the opening of a scathing 110-page opinion.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six Republican voters who wanted Parker to decertify Michigan's results and impound voting machines. The judge declined in December, calling the request "stunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach."
The state and Detroit subsequently asked Parker to order sanctions against Sidney Powell, L. Lin Wood and seven other attorneys who were part of the litigation.
Parker said lawyers for Trump supporters filed affidavits stuffed with sinister "speculation and conjecture" about the vote-counting process without checking for evidence to support the claims.
"I appreciate the unmistakable message she sends with this ruling — those who vow to uphold the Constitution must answer for abandoning that oath," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Indeed, election officials from both political parties have stated publicly that the election went well, and international observers confirmed there were no serious irregularities.
Beyond financial reparations for their actions each lawyer has been ordered by Judge Parker to attend 12 hours of legal education, including six hours in election law–which sounds like an apt humiliation but will they even learn anything from that? Doubtful. Much like Rudy Giuliani getting suspended from practicing law in New York, the judge is asking each of the states where these lawyers are licensed to review their actions and possibly face more disciplinary action. THAT would be the right consequence.
It was one of the few efforts to wrench fines or other penalties from dubious post-election lawsuits across the U.S. There was no immediate response to messages seeking comment from attorneys for Wood and Powell.
