Washington state's Supreme Courtroom has imposed greater than $28,000 in fines on an "election integrity" group and its lawyer for offering scant proof for its lawsuit alleging state officers illegally registered non-citizens to vote.
Washington Legal professional Basic Bob Ferguson on Wednesday introduced his workplace had satisfied the court docket to impose sanctions for what he referred to as an assault on democracy and the authorized system. The fines are the newest setback for the "Cease the Steal" motion fueled by former President Donald Trump's repeatedly debunked claims that widespread voter fraud marred the 2020 presidential election.
The Washington Supreme Courtroom ordered nonprofit Washington Election Integrity Coalition United to pay $9,588.80 and its lawyer, Virginia Shogren, to pay $18,795.90.
The sanctions stem from a petition Shogren filed on behalf of the group in October 2021 with the state Supreme Courtroom that alleged Governor Jay Inslee and different officers sought to actively register non-citizens to vote. To assist its claims, the group's petition contains an affidavit describing a press release from a retired state Division of Licensing worker who mentioned she witnessed division staff registering non-citizens to vote.
The state's excessive court docket dismissed the group's petition, saying it "presents no competent proof of voter fraud primarily based on non-citizen voter registration."
"Attorneys and organizations who assault our democracy and abuse our authorized system should face accountability," Ferguson mentioned in a press release. "We'll proceed combating to guard our elections from these baseless lawsuits that push 'the Large Lie.'"
Ferguson, a Democrat, additionally mentioned he would file a bar criticism towards Shogren.
"Its nearly as if they're intent on discouraging any case that can shine a vivid gentle on one of many methods our electoral system is fatally flawed," Washington Election Integrity Coalition United wrote in a press release on its web site responding to the sanctions.
The group, primarily based exterior of Seattle, mentioned within the assertion that it "offered report summaries displaying there have been tens of 1000's of non-citizens who have been registered in a number of counties."
Tamborine Borrelli, the group's director, informed Newsweek in a press release Friday that the group nonetheless has separate lively lawsuits in eight of the state's counties and that two candidates for Congress have signed on as plaintiffs. The assertion from Borrelli additionally reiterated allegations that the state Supreme Courtroom ignored proof supporting the group's petition.
After Democrat Joe Biden received the 2020 presidential election, audits and courts (together with the U.S. Supreme Courtroom) throughout the nation have rebuffed Trump's insistence the vote was "rigged" towards him. Some attorneys who've pursued these claims elsewhere have confronted self-discipline, notably Trump ally Sidney Powell.
"Each time the president makes these form of flamboyant remarks which might be simply designed to inflame the bottom of the Republican Get together, and to forged doubt on the result of the election, it undermines our democracy," Kim Wyman, Washington's then-Republican secretary of state, informed Seattle's KING-TV in November 2020.
Loren Culp, Washington state's 2020 failed Republican gubernatorial candidate, filed a lawsuit alleging widespread irregularities and fraud. Nevertheless, Culp's lawyer withdrew the problem after Ferguson's workplace threatened sanctions for pursuing what it referred to as a "baseless" lawsuit.
Newsweek has reached out to Shogren and for remark.
Replace 6/3/22, 6:50 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with remark from the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United.
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