NC Courts

As Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin sues to discard more than 65,000 ballots in the state Supreme Court race, questions around legal costs have been raised as the lawsuit has hit a four-month mark. Griffin’s legal defense fund has reportedly raised $17,200 and $14,000 in legal expenditures, according to The News & Observer. Amid Griffin running up an ever-increasing legal bill, one of his biggest donors is on the state Court of Appeals preparing to hear this case.

“Judge Griffin’s insistence on throwing out over 65,000 votes disregards the will of the people in service of a political power grab,” stated Kristi Graunke, legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina, in a press release. “Our judicial system is dependent on respecting the will of the people in choosing their judges. The ongoing effort to disqualify the ballots of eligible voters undermines the constitutional guarantee that ‘political power is vested in and derived from the people.’ North Carolina voters have spoken, it is time to respect their choice and move on.”

The case will now be with the 15-member Appeals Court. Last week, Riggs filed a motion for Judge Tom Murry, who is on the Court of Appeals, to recuse himself from the case. According to WUNC, Murry contributed $5,000 to a legal defense fund supporting Griffin’s ballot challenge to throw out 65,500 votes.