The Lead

Federal appeals court rejects Trump’s challenge of Pa. election results

By: Cassie Miller - November 27, 2020 3:33 pm

(Image via The Pittsburgh Current/Adobe Stock)

A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has denied latest attempt by President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign to challenge election results in Pennsylvania.

Friday’s ruling by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirms last week’s decision by a federal judge in Williamsport to reject the Trump campaign’s bid to stop or reverse the certification of election results in Pennsylvania, the New York Times reported.

Pennsylvania’s election results were certified by Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday.

Pa. certifies election results for Biden, Harris, cementing win in key 2020 battleground state

In the 21-page ruling, Judge Stephanos Bibas, a Trump appointee, noted that the campaign’s claims of fraud “have no merit.”

“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here,” Bibas said.

Following the decision Friday, Jenna Ellis, a trump campaign attorney took to Twitter, claiming that the judicial system was covering up “the allegations of massive fraud” and announced that the Trump campaign would appeal the case to the United State Supreme Court.

.@RudyGiuliani and me on Third Circuit’s opinion:

The activist judicial machinery in Pennsylvania continues to cover up the allegations of massive fraud.

We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature.

On to SCOTUS!

— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 27, 2020

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Cassie Miller

A native Pennsylvanian, Cassie Miller worked for various publications across the Midstate before joining the team at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. In her previous roles, she has covered everything from local sports to the financial services industry. Miller has an extensive background in magazine writing, editing and design. She is a graduate of Penn State University where she served as the campus newspaper’s photo editor. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in professional journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition to her role at the Capital-Star, Miller enjoys working on her independent zines, Dead Air and Infrared. Follow her on Twitter: @Wordsby_CassieM.