On Monday, the administration of President Donald Trump brought its battle to keep Pennsylvania from authenticating its election outcome to a federal appeals court, even as his team decided to let federal agencies brace for the transfer of the administration to Joe Biden.
Trump's team persists in looking for evidence
Donald Trump's attorneys demanded the extension to afford them sufficient time to look for proof of a fraudulent voting scheme and illegal tallying of ballots. On Saturday, District Court Judge Matthew Brann had decided that they could not present "compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption."
As of Monday, 10 p.m., the federal appeals court still hadn't made a verdict. Oppositional attorneys have been given until Tuesday afternoon to submit their responses.
Similarly, on Sunday, a coalition of Republicans and voters from Pennsylvania headed by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly submitted an emergency petition in the state Commonwealth Court aiming to postpone the confirmation of the election.
Pennsylvania election was invalid
The Trump administration had stated that Pennsylvania was supposed to certify "results of an invalid and constitutionally infirm election process before this case can be heard on its merits" while requesting the federal appeals court for a temporary restraining order.
Trump's attorney had written that: "It would be unconscionable to allow Pennsylvania to certify electors for Biden and then have it turn out that Trump won the race."
On Tuesday, Pennsylvania's chief election officer reported that between the closing of the polls on Election Day and the evening of Nov. 6, nearly 10,000 ballots had been collected.
The roughly 10,000 postal ballots have been at the core of a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump and his supporters before the Supreme Court, as they push a larger tactic that is less about presenting a coherent legal claim than about weakening trust in the democratic process.
Trump administration green-lighted Biden's transition
After weeks of postponement, President-elect Joe Biden was told on Monday by the head of the General Services Administration that the official government process of transition had been authorized.
In a letter, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said that Biden, whom she alluded to as "the apparent president-elect," could now tap millions of dollars in government funds as well as other tools to start his transition to office. Moreover, Murphy had also rejected the letter that she had been under strain from the White House to postpone the action.
"I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right," he stated. "Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official-including those who work at the White House or GSA-with regard to the substance or timing of my decision," he added.
Trump had said in his tweets that: "I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same." However, Trump promised to continue his legal campaign to appeal to the election outcome.
