ATLANTA — Wednesday a judge dismissed a legal case by a Democratic state senator challenging the state election board. The judge in the case ruled Gov. Brian Kemp can’t be forced to launch a hearing to remove the board members.
State attorneys told a Fulton County judge that no state senator – nor anybody else – can force the Gov. Brian Kemp to call for a hearing to dismiss three members of the state election board.
In recent months, the Republican-led board has added new rules for next month’s election which they say will add a measure of security. But critics say the new measures will lay the groundwork for unfounded challenges if Donald Trump loses Georgia to Kamala Harris.
"The request the petitioners are making are extraordinarily broad," said deputy attorney general Logan Winkles in court. "Some of the allegations, as it concerns some of these state election board members, is that they attended a political rally."
One election board member, Janice Johnston, waved to a roaring crowd after Trump introduced her at a rally in Atlanta in August. Another, Janelle King, has appeared onstage at a Trump rally. And board member Rick Jeffares reportedly asked about a job in a Trump administration.
"It’s clear to us they aren’t working for the people of Georgia. They’re working for a partisan political outcomes in Georgia elections," accused attorney Wayne Kendall, representing state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (D-Duluth), the plaintiff in the suit.
But in court, Fulton superior court judge Ural Glanville said the legal argument fell short. He upheld a motion by Kemp’s attorneys to dismiss the case.
"I’m disappointed," Parkes said afterward. "We need to remove these rogue election board members who are sowing chaos within our election system. And these are bipartisan concerns."
If that’s going to happen, the order for a hearing to remove the election board members would have to come from an appeals court – with the election a month away.