Utah AG Sean Reyes ‘Disappointed’ After Supreme Court Rejects Texas Lawsuit
Dec 11, 2020, 6:48 PM | Updated: 6:49 pm
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. (KSL-TV)
(KSL-TV)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes said he is disappointed but respects the Supreme Court’s decision to reject a lawsuit filed by Texas’ attorney general Ken Paxton, challenging the election results in four battleground states.
Reyes signed on to the lawsuit Wednesday, saying the Supreme Court should have made a ruling on the case so Americans could “have more clarity” about who sets the terms of elections.
The lawsuit was rejected Friday. In a brief order, the court said Texas does not have the legal right to sue those states because it “has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”
“All other pending motions are dismissed as moot,” the court said Friday.
“While I am disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to hear the Texas v. Pennsylvania case, I respect its decision,” Reyes said in a statement. “As I said when we joined Texas, this case is not about a single candidate or election. This case was always about who has authority over the election process, how that exercise of authority impacted the current election and how it will affect future elections.
“These important questions are not going away and will no doubt come up again. It’s unfortunate we still lack clarity on critical and national constitutional questions that will remain unanswered.”
VIDEO: @SpencerJCox on evidence of voter fraud: “I keep waiting for the smoking gun that has been promised. I’ve yet to see it.”
About @SeanReyesUT joining #Texas #election lawsuit: “Whether #Utah gets involved in this won’t change anything at all. It just costs money.” @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/m7NmsUchw4
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) December 10, 2020
Reyes also said his office communicated directly with the governor’s office before joining the lawsuit.
“Because Texas and Missouri drafted the brief language, Utah was not required to spend any time writing,” Reyes said. “My Solicitor General and I reviewed the briefs before filing. Any notion that we expended a large amount of taxpayer dollars is inaccurate and highly misleading.”
Governor Gary Herbert and Governor-elect Spencer Cox issued a joint statement Wednesday, which said Reyes did not consult with them before signing the brief. They called Reyes’ actions “an unwise use of taxpayers’ money.”
@GovHerbert and Governor-elect @SpencerJCox issue joint statement on Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes' decision to join a Texas lawsuit against the election process in four battleground states won by President-elect Joe Biden.
➡️ https://t.co/bsuBgyLeHT pic.twitter.com/7RhvllxiFV
— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) December 10, 2020
“We exercised the independent authority of my office to seek clarity and finality to critical constitutional questions. Utah and America deserved answers that would give more confidence in the process,” Reyes said. “I look forward to working with the new administration on common causes and continuing to vigorously defend the interests and rights of the people of the state of Utah.”
The Electoral College is scheduled to meet on Monday and formally elect Joe Biden as president.
Read the Supreme Court’s full order here.
