The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied President Donald Trump‘s appeal to hear a critical Pennsylvania election lawsuit on an expedited basis, effectively killing the challenge the Epoch Times reported.
The high court told Pennsylvania that it had to respond to Trump’s challenge by Jan. 22, 2021, two days after the president-elect will take office.
Even if the Supreme Court rules in Trump’s favor, he will not be eligible for relief.
“If this matter is not timely resolved, not only Petitioner, but the Nation as a whole may suffer injury from the resulting confusion,” Trump’s campaign wrote in the lawsuit Donald J. Trump for President v. Kathy Boockvar.
The lawsuit claims that Boockvar, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, “illegally changed” rules for mail-in ballots, under the guise of protecting against the coronavirus, without the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s consent.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court then conspired with Boockvar to uphold the unconstitutional changes that stripped safeguards for mail-in ballots, such as loosening requirements for photo identification, chain-of-custody procedures and signature verification.
The Trump campaign’s filing asked the Supreme Court to have Pennsylvania respond by Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“Indeed, the intense national and worldwide attention on the 2020 Presidential election only foreshadows the disruption that may well follow if the uncertainty and unfairness shrouding this election are allowed to persist,” the lawsuit said. “The importance of a prompt resolution of the federal constitutional questions presented by this case cannot be overstated.”
John Eastman, who represents Trump in the case, does not think the Supreme Court will stand by the post-inauguration date and leave the campaign without hearing its case on the merits.
“So don’t read anything into that,” Eastman said, noting that the high court automatically schedules responses for 30 days after filing.
“The Court is fully aware of our Motion for Expedited Consideration, and if it grants our motion, new dates will be provided via court order,” he said.
