In an ongoing public spat between states, Texas filed a brief today reinforcing their resolve to seek relief in the Supreme Court. Yesterday, Josh Shapiro announced on Twitter that a brief had been filed saying “Texas has not suffered harm because it dislikes the result of the election. Nothing in the constitution supports Texas’ view that it can dictate how four other states run their elections.”

You can read Texas’ brief here

You can read the defendant brief here

This week, Texas has sued four states (GA, MI, WI and PA) alleging these states may have had violated the US constitution by not following their own election laws.

Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, fired back in a brief filed Friday with the US Supreme Court which further clarifies how alleged “maladministration” of the 2020 election, within the four defendant-states, injure and disenfranchise voting-citizens of Texas.

“Inaction would disenfranchise as many voters as taking action allegedly would. Moreover, acting decisively will not only put lower courts but also state and local officials on notice that future elections must conform to State election statutes, requiring legislative ratification of any change prior to the election. Far from condemning this and other courts to perpetual litigation, action here will stanch the flood of election-season litigation.”

One of the key points within Texas’ brief is highlighting how states, to-date, have hidden behind continuous litigation, without actually defending their actions.

Defendant States do not seriously address grave issues that Texas raises, choosing to hide behind other court venues and decisions in which Texas could not participate and to mischaracterize both the relief that Texas seeks and the justification for that relief.

Currently, 18 Attorneys General have chosen to support Texas’ lawsuit, while 20 Attorneys General have chosen to support the defendant-states.