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2021-02-23 Home Front: Politix

Dissent by Justice Thomas in election case draws fire for revisiting baseless Trump fraud claims

[USA Today] WASHINGTON — A blistering dissent in a high-profile election case written by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas prompted blowback Monday from Democrats who accused one of the court's most conservative members of embracing baseless claims of voter fraud promoted by President Donald Trump after the November election.

In an 11-page dissent from the court's decision not to take up a challenge to the expanded use of mail ballots in Pennsylvania, Thomas acknowledged that the outcome of the election was not changed by the way votes were cast in the battleground state. But he raised questions about the reliability of mail-in voting that echoed many of the same arguments Trump raised in the weeks before and after the election.

The dissent followed the court's decision Monday to turn away a challenge to accommodations the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court made for mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic. The state, one of a handful of tossups that ultimately led to the election of President Joe Biden, allowed absentee ballots to be received up to three days after Election Day, even in cases where those ballots did not have a clear Nov. 3 postmark.

In the end, despite the partisan rancor over the issue and a bevy of lawsuits, there were too few ballots at issue to make a difference in the outcome in the Keystone State. But Thomas and two other conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, said the legal questions should have been taken up by the high court to guide future elections.

"That decision to rewrite the rules seems to have affected too few ballots to change the outcome," Thomas wrote. "But that may well not be the case in the future."

Posted by Besoeker 2021-02-23 11:57|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 I seem to remember someone saying "the flak is heaviest over the target."

Posted by Besoeker 2021-02-23 12:01|| 2021-02-23 12:01|| Front Page Top

#2 Examine those baseless claims and prove them false. Then you end it all and restore faith in the electoral system.

Dodging the issue entirely looks like a bunch of cowards that know it happened and don't want to get involved.

Posted by rjschwarz 2021-02-23 12:09|| 2021-02-23 12:09|| Front Page Top

#3 The Constitution is explicit -

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

That was not done in Pennsylvania. The manner of selection was done by the Executive and ratified by the Judiciary of the state in direct violation of that. Thus it is valid and not a baseless claim.

Posted by Procopius2k 2021-02-23 12:54|| 2021-02-23 12:54|| Front Page Top

#4 One of the curious things about this fire sale, is the Supreme Court most wonted not grabbing power for itself by means of a show trial.

"Do you not want to at least take the field to increase your price?!"

Posted by swksvolFF 2021-02-23 13:16|| 2021-02-23 13:16|| Front Page Top

#5 There was plenty of basis, but a very strange lack of interest in an investigation.

Posted by Mad Eye Prince of the Bunions6802 2021-02-23 15:58|| 2021-02-23 15:58|| Front Page Top

#6 SCOTUS does not say it is inadmissible, they say it is MOOT. I read this as 'if i stole but had already spent the money' then, by this court, it is moot and therefore there is not a crime.

Posted by irish rage boy 2021-02-23 17:33|| 2021-02-23 17:33|| Front Page Top

#7 "If I killed someone, and he's dead. Then it's MOOT and I didn't commit a crime."

Liberal logic on steroids.

Posted by CrazyFool 2021-02-23 18:19|| 2021-02-23 18:19|| Front Page Top

#8 So now they're going after Thomas' wife after she supported Stop the Steal, since they presume she forced her opinion on him. Dems haven't figured out that unlike the Asterisk President, his wife doesn't tell him what his opinions are.

Posted by Mercutio 2021-02-23 18:40|| 2021-02-23 18:40|| Front Page Top

09:27 Warthog
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08:52 Matt
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07:34 trailing wife
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07:30 NN2N1
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07:14 Richard Aubrey
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05:28 Whiskey Mike