Federal judge reminds Sydney Powell how US elections work in yet another blow to 'kraken' conspiracy suits
Things are not going well for President Donald Trump's former lawyer Sydney Powell after a federal judge on Wednesday reminded her of how elections work in the United States.
In a 45-page ruling on Powell's lawsuit in Wisconsin, U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper reminded Powell that federal judges do not appoint the President of the United States, according to Law & Crime.
"Federal judges do not appoint the president in this country," Pepper wrote. "One wonders why the plaintiffs came to federal court and asked a federal judge to do so. After a week of sometimes odd and often harried litigation, the court is no closer to answering the 'why.' But this federal court has no authority or jurisdiction to grant the relief the remaining plaintiff seeks."
While she did acknowledge how passionate Trump's legal team is, Pepper noted that the ruling was simple as she explained the ramifications surrounding jurisdictions.
"The election that preceded this lawsuit was emotional and often divisive," the judge wrote. "The pleadings that have been filed over the past week are passionate and urgent. People have strong, deep feelings about the right to vote, the freedom and opportunity to vote and the value of their vote. They should."
Pepper also made it clear that there was no way to provide the extent of relief the election lawsuit seeks.
She added, "But the legal question at the heart of this case is simple. Federal courts have limited jurisdiction. Does a federal court have the jurisdiction and authority to grant the relief this lawsuit seeks? The answer is no."
Pepper's ruling came just hours after a federal judge in Arizona handed down a similar ruling. Echoing arguments similar to Pepper's, U.S. District Judge Diane Joyce Humetewa said Powell's voter fraud claims in the Arizona lawsuit were "entirely unsupported."
"Not only have Plaintiffs failed to provide the Court with factual support for their extraordinary claims, but they have wholly failed to establish that they have standing for the Court to consider them," Humetewa said. "Allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court. They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona's 2020 General Election."
