Throughout Trump’s campaign to convince the country that he’s the first man ever to be cheated out of a presidential election in a widespread conspiracy that involved Democrats, vote tabulating machines, his own DOJ and DHS, Republican governors, election officials, and the Supreme Court, Vice President Mike Pence has been oddly silent. On Thursday, however, he was forced to speak up against what may be the dumbest lawsuit ever filed in a court of law, with him as the defendant.
Breaking: Mike Pence has asked for the Louie Gohmert-backed lawsuit that aimed to expand his power to overturn the presidential election be dismissed, arguing that he was not the right person to sue over the issue. https://t.co/S4NDFFtzg5
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 31, 2020
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) filed a lawsuit suing Pence to force him to meddle in the electoral voting process and choose Trump-supporting electors in protest of what Trump has insisted is a “rigged” election. Pence asked the judge in the federal court hearing the case to dismiss it since he isn’t even the defendant who should be named, nor does the case have any legal basis. The brief notes that:
‘Plaintiffs have presented this Court with an emergency motion raising a host of weighty
legal issues about the manner in which the electoral votes for President are to be counted. But these plaintiffs’ suit is not a proper vehicle for addressing those issues because plaintiffs have sued the wrong defendant. The Vice President—the only defendant in this case—is ironically the very person whose power they seek to promote.’
NEW: Mike Pence asks federal judge to reject GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert's lawsuit asking the vice president to interfere in the Electoral College count https://t.co/pIpIKQdHTw pic.twitter.com/l05bPUkySJ
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) December 31, 2020
If this is all very confusing, think of it like this: Gohmert sued Pence to force him to increase his powers as Vice President to decide an election in which Pence is a candidate; in other words, he’s suing him because he won’t just elect himself and his friend, Trump. Fortunately, there are laws preventing this, but imagine if the Republicans were able to get their way on this issue. Forevermore, a Vice President could just reelect himself until someone found a way to stop him. In the brief, a Department of Justice attorney representing Pence said that:
‘A suit to establish that the Vice President has discretion over the count, filed against the Vice President, is a walking legal contradiction.’
On Mike Pence’s Behalf, DOJ Tells Court That Louie Gohmert’s Attempt to Sue VP Is ‘A Walking Legal Contradiction’ @Matt_Naham is on this developing story. Read again later for updates.
DOJ motion inside. https://t.co/BMyshBv2IA via @lawcrimenews
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 31, 2020
Gohmert also apparently didn’t consider that there may be a Democratic Vice President who loses an election someday, and that establishing the rule change he wants to make would strip him of his power to stop that Vice President from doing so.
‘Ironically, Representative Gohmert’s position, if adopted by the Court, would actually deprive him of his opportunity as a Member of the House under the Electoral Count Act to raise objections to the counting of electoral votes, and then to debate and vote on them.’
On behalf of VP Mike Pence, DOJ asks to reject Rep. Gohmert's bid, saying the congressman and his fake-electer co-plaintiffs chose the wrong suit and wrong guy.
"The Vice President—the only defendant in this case—is ironically the very person whose power they seek to promote." pic.twitter.com/N3RUGLH9k7
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 31, 2020
