Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) sued Vice President Mike Pence in an attempt to force Congress to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which was won by President-elect Joe Biden. But that lawsuit may backfire according to a New Year's Eve report in the New York Times.
"The Justice Department asked a federal judge on Thursday to reject a lawsuit seeking to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election, pitting the department against President Trump's allies in Congress who have refused to accept President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s victory," the newspaper reported Thursday. "The department, acting on behalf of Mr. Pence, said that Republican lawmakers, led by Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas, could not invalidate the more than century-old law that governs the Electoral College process to expand an otherwise ceremonial role into one that has the power to reject electoral votes that were cast for Mr. Biden."
The move could backfire.
"The Justice Department also made clear in its filing that it welcomed any comments from the federal judge in the case, Jeremy D. Kernodle of the Eastern District of Texas, that would clarify that Mr. Pence's role in the election was purely procedural," the newspaper noted. "If a judge were to make clear that Mr. Pence does not have the authority to reject votes or decide the results, it could alleviate pressure on him. Since the election in November, Mr. Trump has become singularly focused on the proceedings of the Electoral College. He cut short his vacation at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to return to Washington early, at least in part to push Republican lawmakers to reject the results when they meet on Jan. 6 to count the votes."
If the Trump-appointed Texas judge makes clear that Pence's role is in fact only procedural, it could have the oppo… https://t.co/pQZcfX1nh5— Maggie Haberman (@Maggie Haberman) 1609464529.0
