Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham argued that GOP efforts to challenge the Electoral College certification in Congress on Wednesday are “not effectively fighting” for President Donald Trump.
At least 140 Republican House members along with a dozen GOP senators have declared their intention to object to the final certification of the Electoral College votes. The group of senators have called for an Electoral Commission composed of five House members, five Senators, and five Supreme Court justices to conduct a 10-day emergency audit of the election in key swing states.
Graham called the proposal “more of a political dodge than an effective remedy” in a Sunday morning series of tweets.
“Proposing a commission at this late date – which has zero chance of becoming reality – is not effectively fighting for President Trump,” Graham wrote. “It appears to be more of a political dodge than an effective remedy.”
Graham added that he will “listen closely” to his colleagues’ objections, but that they would “need to provide proof” for their charges.
“They will also need to provide clear and convincing evidence that the failure to act – in both the state and federal courts and the states legislatures which investigated these claims – was made in error,” he wrote. “They will also need to show that the failure to take corrective action in addressing election fraud changed the outcome of these states’ votes and ultimately the outcome of the election.”
I do look forward to hearing from and will listen closely to the objections of my colleagues in challenging the results of this election.
They will need to provide proof of the charges they are making.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2021
They will also need to show that the failure to take corrective action in addressing election fraud changed the outcome of these states’ votes and ultimately the outcome of the election.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2021
My colleagues will have the opportunity to make this case, and I will listen closely. But they have a high bar to clear.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2021
“My colleagues will have the opportunity to make this case, and I will listen closely. But they have a high bar to clear,” Graham concluded. (RELATED: Hakeem Jeffries Invokes Framers Of The Constitution To Defend New Gender-Neutral Language Rules)
While the objections will force debate and a floor vote, they are unlikely to be successful.