Judge rejects immediate audit of Detroit-area election work
DETROIT (AP) — A judge rejected a request Tuesday to order an immediate audit of Detroit-area election results, saying the task was already planned by the state.
Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump in Michigan by 154,000 votes, a result that was certified by the Board of State Canvassers on Nov. 23. But some judges still are dealing with litigation.
Wayne County Judge Timothy Kenny acknowledged that an audit request is available under state law. But he said it should be aimed at the secretary of state, not local election officials.
“Since the secretary of state has made a public commitment to do an audit of the Wayne County vote, plaintiff’s motion for the audit is premature,” Kenny said.
If the state fails to act, voters who brought the lawsuit can pursue a case again in the Court of Claims, the judge said.
Attorney David Kallman represents a group of voters who claim Detroit’s vote was rife with fraud, although Trump got more votes in the city than in 2016.
There is no evidence of widespread fraud anywhere in the Nov. 3 election.
David Fink, an attorney for Detroit, said an audit would focus on election performance issues, not a change in the results.
“I think what we have is a lawsuit in search of a purpose,” Fink told the judge last week.
Michigan House cancels more voting sessions due to virus
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan House canceled voting sessions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus, complicating the Legislature’s final days of business in the two-year term.
Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Levering Republican, said the employee works with several different lawmakers and committees but “had nothing to do with” a hearing attended last week by President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Trump announced over the weekend that Giuliani had been infected, which led to the cancellation of voting in the House on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear when the House will meet next. Both the House and Senate are scheduled to adjourn next week. Key legislation includes a potential COVID-19 relief plan and a proposal to fund the state’s proposed $600 million settlement with residents of Flint whose municipal water supply was contaminated with lead.
“This person may not have even been a close contact of many representatives given the timeline. However, some representatives who have been working closely with that person are now choosing to test and isolate pending results,” Chatfield said in a statement. “We are asking everyone to stay home, stay healthy and get tested while the Business Office conducts their usual contact tracing.”
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