Chris McDaniel to file challenge to Mississippi Senate results

cbsnews.com ^ | 8/14/14 | Jake Miller

[cotton1706]

Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel is expected to file a formal legal challenge on Thursday to the June 24 Republican primary runoff that he narrowly lost to incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran, alleging that thousands of votes cast in favor of his opponent were illegal.

On Tuesday, McDaniel said his lawyers have a "rock-solid" case to make, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

McDaniel's team has argued that thousands of people who voted in the Republican runoff also cast ballots in the Democratic primary earlier in June, which would make their ballots invalid under state law. His team has highlighted affidavits from volunteers flagging thousands of illegal or irregular votes.

Cochran's team has pushed back, saying the race was decided fairly, and with no more irregularities than any other election.

Most legal observers say McDaniel's' case is a long shot. Still, Cochran's margin of victory in the runoff was only 7,667 votes, so the invalidation of several thousand votes, however unlikely, could affect the result.

McDaniel first took his complaints about the runoff election to the Mississippi Republican Party, which promptly volleyed the challenge to the courts, saying it was simply too big an issue for the state party to resolve in a timely manner.

According to the Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi Supreme Court Justice William L. Waller Jr. will appoint a special judge to preside over the case. There is no deadline for the court to reach a decision, but ballots for November's general election bearing either Cochran's or McDaniel's name must be delivered to county clerks by September 10.

[House Atreides]

Hopefully the “special judge” that Judge Waller designates will be fair, won’t dawdle and will have no corrupt connections of any kind to the corrupt Barbour web in Mississippi.

[VerySadAmerican]

“...no more irregularities than any other election.”

They’re saying “We always cheat. Only this time we got those that we usually cheat to help us cheat.”

[House Atreides]

“...He is digging his political grave in MS.”
**************************************************************************************
Yes, that is one of the standard canards put out by the Cochran/Barbour GOPe machine.

[VerySadAmerican]

Great! That’s two illegal votes right there!

[pfony1]

This SHOULD have been an easy win for McDaniel against good ole boy, big ole spender Cochran.

NOW, after running a weak scandal-damaged campaign, McDaniel just looks like a sore loser.

I have to say I hope the Tea Party will chose more wisely the next time.

[TexasCajun]

Stop talking about doing it and just do it!

[Nextrush]

When thousands of Democrats were drawn into the final runoff vote by racially charged commercials and organizing fueled by the GOPe, McDaniel was defeated narrowly when under normal circumstances he would have beat Cochran by a wide margin....

[SoConPubbie]

I have to say I hope the Tea Party will chose more wisely the next time.

I'd have to say you come across as a GOP-E Paid Troll with comments like that.

[USS Alaska]

The idiot should have swallowed his pride and moved on for the next time. Instead he comes across as an idiot.

You have a big set calling any one an idiot. Try a mirror.

.TOIDI OUY

[nikos1121]

Yeah you’re the smartest guy in the room.

[Waryone]

He’s not the one stalling and you know it. We’ve had this discussion before and you know exactly who is holding things up. Go tell your buddy Cochran to get his people to release the documents they are keeping McDaniel from examining.

So what the evidence leads to Cochran’s people going to prison. At least you won’t be able to complain about the hold up any more.

[Lurking Libertarian]

Rick Hasen's Election Law Blog discusses McDaniel's lawsuit here.

[Waryone]

... but he did get all the records

So you've finally found the proof for that claim? The claim you admitted to me was only a huge assumption on your part? Or are you continuing to lie to make your lying GOPe look good?

Why would you even allow yourself to get caught in such a huge lie? This must be doing severe damage to the GOPe for them to send an operative in to tell such an egregious, easily refuted lie. They must be scared crapless! Good!

[deport]

A few news articles on the filing of the lawsuit by McDaniel.

UPDATED: McDaniel files lawsuit over Senate runoff
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/politicalledger/2014/08/14/mcdaniel/14070175/

Chris McDaniel Lawsuit Challenges Loss To Thad Cochran
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/chris-mcdaniel-lawsuit_n_5680016.html

Lawsuit challenges loss to Sen. Cochran in Miss.
https://news.yahoo.com/lawsuit-challenges-loss-sen-cochran-miss-204951996—election.html

[Lurking Libertarian]

Or are you continuing to lie to make your lying GOPe look good?

Now that McDaniel has filed his lawsuit, why don't you point me to the paragraph of his Complaint where he complains about denial of access to voting records?

[Waryone]

So you’re going to twist your of weeks ago reply to me in which you admitted you made an assumption and use this twist as your reply now?

What has changed since you admitted you were making an assumption that access had been provided? Nothing. You got caught lying by using an assumption as a fact and now you are trying to use a twisted form of that lie to defend yourself.

That isn’t even the worse part. You are dead wrong. McDaniel did mention that he has not been given access to every county’s document in the complaint. I have a copy of the complaint document filed. I have read it. You obviously have not read it or you would not continue to say it isn’t in the complaint. It also has its own separate court filing that went to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Now, I don’t believe anything you say. You lie, and you make assumptions based on false information you haven’t even bothered to verify. Why should anyone pay any attention to a single thing you say?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/235855819/2014-8-4-Complaint-and-Exhibits

[Din Maker]

If Cochran prevails, the 2014 election cycle will be the first time since 2008 that every Senate Republican seeking reelection has been re-nominated.

Let's see how they do in the General Election on Nov. 4. These are Mid-term Elections; there will be a lower turnout. If McDaniel's supporters stay home, skip the Senate race on the ballot or vote for the Dem, Mississippi might have their first Democrat Senator in a long time. Don't think for a minute that Travis Childers is not going after the McDaniel voters. For the first time in years, the Democrat Party in MS is downright giddy. Look for money to start pouring in to the Dem's campaign coffers, that ordinarily would never be spent.

[Din Maker]

He is digging his political grave in MS.
____________________________________________________________

Speaking of graves: The stress from all of this might cause old Thad to stroke out and go on to that big Senate Cloak Room in the sky. Problem solved!

[pfony1]

Cochran was an EASY target:

Out-of-touch.
Tool of special interests.
Big Spender.
Big Taxer.

Why couldn’t McDaniel WIN the Primary with THOSE issues handed to him on a silver platter?

IMHO, we already have enough dirty-trick-playing “blame-shifters” in Washington.

[pfony1]

“...normal circumstances...”?

What could be “normal” about allowing DEMOCRATS to “vote” in REPUBLICAN Primaries?

That stupid Trojan horse was exploited in many races in 2012. Todd Aikin comes to mind.

Did Mississippi Republicans “fix” that problem before 2014? No? But (you say) this is NOT the fault of the majority of Mississippi’s Republicans.

Why?

Is anyone working to fix that problem before 2016? No?

WHY NOT?