Trump campaign files federal lawsuit seeking to halt Philly vote count

By: John L. Micek - November 5, 2020 6:19 pm

President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the Philadelphia Board of Elections’ count of votes in the city.

The filing comes as Democratic nominee Joe Biden closes the gap with Trump in the Keystone State, where 20 electoral votes are up for grabs.

The complaint includes a request for an emergency injunction and mirrors one filed in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Bloomberg reported.

Commonwealth Court Judge Chistine Fizzano Cannon ruled “that all candidates, watchers, or candidate representatives be permitted to be present for the canvassing process,” provided they follow social distancing guidelines, the Capital-Star previously reported.

On Wednesday, a Philadelphia judge had ruled against the Trump campaign in the suit, which claimed its poll watchers were at least 15 and at most 100 plus feet away from the processing of ballots.

The city of Philadelphia filed an appeal soon after to the state Supreme Court. The high court was still reviewing the request for the appeal, according to a court spokesperson.

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