Arizona Supreme Court crushes GOP chair Kelli Ward's coup attempt
Opinion: But is the ongoing damage being done by the baseless claims made by the state GOP reparable?
EJ Montini
It was a complete and total smackdown.
A unanimous Arizona Supreme Court didn’t just uphold a lower court’s decision to dismiss the baseless claims of election malfeasance made by Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and other Trump minions, they eviscerated them.
In its ruling, the seven-member court said in part, “The Court concludes, unanimously, that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying the request to continue the hearing and permit additional inspection of the ballots. The November 9, 2020 hand count audit revealed no discrepancies in the tabulation of votes and the statistically negligible error presented in this case falls far short of warranting relief under A.R.S. 16-672.
“Because the challenge fails to present any evidence of ‘misconduct,’ ‘Illegal votes’ or that the Biden Electors ‘did not in fact receive the highest number of votes for office,’ let alone establish any evidence of fraud or a sufficient error rate that would undermine the certainty of the election results …”
'No discrepancies,' the court rules
No discrepancies in vote tabulations.
Negligible error.
No “evidence of fraud or a sufficient error rate that would undermine the certainty of the election results …”
Certainty in the result.
Would that be enough to satisfy the conspiracy kook heading the state GOP?
You know the answer.
Ward issued a statement calling the ruling “disappointing” and saying in part, “while today's decision is not what those who value and recognize the importance of election transparency and integrity were seeking, rest assured, the fight to restore that corroded confidence will continue.”
That fight will continue.
Ward keeps pouring acid on our system
But not by Ward. She'll be doing just the opposite. The corrosion of voter confidence was caused by Ward and those like her pouring acid on it.
Their flimsy, groundless conspiracy rants have been eating away at the iron framework of our electoral confidence, oxidizing the core belief of some people in Arizona’s fair, well-regulated and carefully monitored voting system.
Which it is.
Repairing the damage caused by Ward would be difficult if it were to end with the Arizona Supreme Court’s determination of the “certainty of the election results.”
But it won’t.
Ward and the state GOP seem to have made a firm break with reality, and her caustic response to the court’s decision slaps more destructive acid on the structure of our democracy.
As if tarnishing the works wasn’t enough for them.
As if they want deep, rotting rust.
As if they want a collapse.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.