GOP Sen. Ben Sasse calls Texas AG's election lawsuit 'a PR stunt'

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) isn't buying Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton's (R) claim that his lawsuit asking the Supreme Court to overturn the presidential election results in four states is due to concerns about the integrity of the vote.

It's a "PR stunt rather than a lawsuit," Sasse told The Washington Examiner on Thursday and an attempt to gain "a pardon" from President Trump.

The Associated Press reported in November that after several of Paxton's former aides accused him of bribery and other crimes, the FBI launched an investigation into whether Paxton illegally used his office to help friend and campaign donor Nate Paul, a wealthy real estate developer.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Paxton claims Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin "tainted the integrity" of the election through the use of mail-in ballots, and their results should be overturned, a move that would reverse President-elect Joe Biden's win.

Sasse told the Examiner he predicts the Supreme Court "swats this away," adding that the lawsuit's assertions "have already been rejected by federal courts and Texas' own solicitor general isn't signing on."

Lawyer Ryan Goodman, a former special counsel with the Department of Defense, agreed with Sasse's assessment, saying it not only appears as though Paxton is begging for a pardon, but "it also looks like potential bribery."

More stories from theweek.com
The Constitution has an answer for seditious members of Congress
Prominent GOP donor urges Republican senators to confirm Biden's DHS pick
7 criminally funny cartoons about Trump's potential pardon spree