The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that Republican subpoenas for voter information after the 2020 election are unenforceable, overturning an earlier court ruling.
The highest court of the Union issued a decision on Wednesday short order Because the 2021-22 legislative session has already ended, the subpoena could not be enforced.
The move is the latest legal defeat for Republicans who have appealed to the courts nationwide over the former president’s 2020 election. Donald Trump spread lies about the elections.
In 2021, Republicans in the Pennsylvania state Senate voted to subpoena voter information, but the move was challenged by those who claimed the committee’s “real purpose is to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.” lower court 2023 review.
That court, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, declined to “restrict the enforcement of the Senate Committee’s subpoena” a year ago.
The Republican-dominated committee voted September 2021 Calling up voter information from the Pennsylvania Department of State. When the vote was challenged in court, the committee argued that the state constitution allows “legislators to conduct research that may help them determine whether or how to consider amendments to the Election Code.” Their position, as included in the February 2023 majority opinion of the Commonwealth Court.
Republican Sen. Chris Duch of Pennsylvania led the Senate committee that voted on the 2021 subpoena at the time. argued before voting, he said Pennsylvanians are “having a crisis of confidence in our elections.” He said in 2021 that the purpose of the “investigation into election integrity” would be to “uncover information necessary for the Legislature to take potentially future legislative action.”
The Republican vote on the recall in Pennsylvania followed a trend of Republicans going to court after Trump lost the 2020 election. NBC News previously reported that Trump and his allies were doing just that applied with them An attempt to challenge President Joe Biden’s victory. Election officials assured that the vote was secure and there was no evidence of widespread voting irregularities.