Judge dismisses lawsuit to overturn Biden’s Georgia win
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a Republican lawsuit seeking to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia, according to media reports.
Judge Timothy Batten rejected the lawsuit during a brief court hearing, according to CNBC, dealing yet another defeat to a nationwide Republican legal effort to undo President Trump’s electoral defeat.
In a recording of the hearing that was posted on Twitter before being deleted, Batten castigated the lawsuit, saying that it sought “perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election.”
“They want this court to substitute its judgment for that of 2.5 million Georgia voters who voted for Joe Biden, and this I am unwilling to do,” said Batten, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President George W. Bush.
The lawsuit was filed by conservative attorney Sidney Powell, who worked until recently with the Trump campaign’s legal team in its election litigation, on behalf of Republican electors for the president. They alleged widespread voter fraud in Georgia, which is set to certify Biden’s victory after multiple recounts.
Powell did not immediately respond when asked for comment.
Batten is expected to issue a written decision explaining his reasoning.
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