Appeals court rejects effort to block Biden’s win in Georgia

A federal appeals court shot down a bid by a conservative lawyer to block President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia, handing down the latest setback for the sprawling legal effort to subvert the results of the Nov. 3 presidential race.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit said it supports the ruling of District Judge Steven Grimberg, a Trump appointee, who found that L. Lin Wood did not have the legal standing to sue over the results in Georgia, where Biden defeated President Trump by about 12,000 votes.

The appeals court ruled that Wood “had to prove that his suit presents a justiciable controversy” but ultimately “failed to satisfy this burden” and “fails to allege a particularized injury.”

“We may not entertain post-election contests about garden-variety issues of vote counting and misconduct that may properly be filed in state courts,” the appeals court decided.

The court also said Wood’s challenge was moot since Georgia already certified its election.

The decision was the latest in a string of defeats in various legal efforts in battleground states across the country to overturn the election results. Trump and his allies, as well as outside supporters such as Wood, were handed an avalanche of legal losses this week in a demoralizing week for the legal team, with lawsuits dismissed in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Many of the rulings have been based on a lack of evidence or a lack of legal standing by the plaintiffs.

The Peach State has emerged as the center of conservatives’ legal efforts to overturn the election results. Despite the series of losses and Georgia’s certification, Trump and his allies have maintained that widespread voter fraud and issues over things such as ballot signatures cost the president the state.

“I will easily & quickly win Georgia if Governor @BrianKempGA or the Secretary of State permit a simple signature verification. Has not been done and will show large scale discrepancies. Why are these two ‘Republicans’ saying no? If we win Georgia, everything else falls in place!” Trump tweeted Saturday.

I will easily & quickly win Georgia if Governor @BrianKempGA or the Secretary of State permit a simple signature verification. Has not been done and will show large scale discrepancies. Why are these two “Republicans” saying no? If we win Georgia, everything else falls in place!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2020

Republicans have begun voicing concerns that attacks over the election system will convince GOP voters to boycott two crucial Senate runoffs and depress turnout. The runoffs are pitting Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) against the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. David Perdue (R) against documentary filmmaker Jon Ossoff.

The two runoffs will determine which party controls the Senate in the next Congress. The GOP currently has a 50-48 majority, but if both Warnock and Ossoff win, Democrats will have control with a 50-50 split and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris having the ability to cast tiebreaking votes.

Wood has been a particularly sharp thorn in Republicans’ side in recent weeks, using his broad Twitter following to call on Republicans to boycott the races. Trump is also traveling to Georgia on Saturday to rally with Loeffler and Collins, though Republicans have sounded the alarm that his continued railings against Georgia officials and the election could also depress turnout.