President Biden’s executive order aimed at increasing voter turnout is now being challenged in what one government watchdog called “arguably the most important election integrity lawsuit in the country.”
The lawsuit filed in federal court seeks to halt the implementation of President Biden’s executive order on the election immediately.
The plaintiff in the action is Republican state Rep. Dawn Keefer, leader of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus. Keefer and other state legislators claim that Biden’s executive order, as well as steps taken by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, usurp the lawmakers’ jurisdiction.
Lawyers for the Biden and Shapiro administrations on Wednesday filed to dismiss the lawsuit, known as Keefer, et al., v. Biden, et al., claiming that the lawmakers lack standing and that executive actions on state elections have previously been permitted by the Pennsylvania legislature.
“State legislators have rights granted to them in the Constitution, so we do have standing in federal court. The irreparable harm is that they are changing the way elections are being facilitated,” Keefer told The Daily Signal. “Now, we may have authorized them to take action. We never authorized them to break the law.”
The plaintiff’s complaint seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent the executive order’s execution immediately. There are plaintiffs joining the lawsuit who are not Freedom Caucus members.
The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania claims that Biden’s executive order directing federal agencies to collaborate with private, nonprofit groups on get-out-the-vote efforts violates Act 88, a state law that prohibits private money from funding election administration.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly enacted the bill in reaction to subsidies to local and state election offices in 2020, which were indirectly funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg through his Center for Tech and Civil Life that analysis shows increased turnout predominately in Democratic-dominated districts. (Read more: TrendingPoliticsNews, 3/25/2024) (Archive)