Republicans

The South Florida SunSentinel reports: The state law used to justify a police raid at the home of a COVID-19 whistleblower suspected of accessing a Florida emergency messaging system without permission carries a stiff penalty: Up to five years in prison. That means Rebekah Jones, the Florida Department of Health data scientist fired in May for alleged insubordination, may be …

The Hill reports: Donald Trump Jr. is featured in a new ad urging Georgians to get out and vote for Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) in the Jan. 5 runoff election that will determine the balance of power in the Senate. The 30-second ad opens with footage of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) saying, “Now we …

The New York Times reports: The quarreling, which has powerful state Republicans openly insulting one another, is bringing attention to the challenges the party faces as Arizona shifts from a Republican bastion to a battleground state. Kelli Ward, the chair of the Arizona Republican Party, told Mr. Ducey on Twitter last week to #STHU — the hashtag for “shut the …

Sioux Falls’ CBS News affiliate reports: Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) said today that she “expects the road could be a little bit rough under the Biden administration with some of the policies that they’ve embraced.” Noem’s comments came during her fiscal year 2022 budget presentation in Pierre. “We can expect that they may try to raise taxes, they have said …

Phoenix’s NBC News affiliate reports: The Arizona Supreme Court has affirmed the dismissal of Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward’s lawsuit that sought to undo Democrat President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona. The Arizona Supreme Court’s decision confirms the election of the Biden Electors. Ward had filed a notice of appeal late Friday with the Arizona Supreme Court. A Maricopa …

Defense News reports: The House adopted compromise $740.5 billion defense policy bill by a veto-proof majority Tuesday, rebuking President Donald Trump, who threatened to veto the bill because it doesn’t repeal a prized liability shield for social media firms. Republican and Democratic supporters hoped for a strong vote in hopes it would back Trump down, and they got it. The …

The Washington Post reports: “With all due respect, the Texas Attorney General is constitutionally, legally and factually wrong about Georgia,” Katie Byrd, spokeswoman for the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, said in a statement. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is a Republican. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) called the effort an attack on American elections that is “uniquely unserious” and …

The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court has rejected Republicans’ last-gasp bid to reverse Pennsylvania’s certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the electoral battleground. The court without comment Tuesday refused to call into question the certification process in Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf already has certified Biden’s victory and the state’s 20 electors are to meet on Dec. 14 to …

Newsweek reports: Republicans responsible for organizing the 2021 inauguration ceremony have refused to officially recognize they are planning the event for President-elect Joe Biden. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is made up of lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, rejected a motion on Tuesday that essentially recognized Biden as the winner of the …

Politico reports: Rep. Alex Mooney introduced a resolution on Tuesday to formally condemn any lawmakers who call on Donald Trump to concede “prematurely” from the presidential race despite having lost — the latest example of how Trump’s Hill allies are eager to prove their loyalty to the president. The West Virginia Republican, a member of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus, …

Via press release from Texas AG Ken Paxton: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the United States Supreme Court. The four states exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enacting last-minute changes, thus skewing the results of the 2020 General Election. The battleground …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: State police brandishing firearms raided the home of Rebekah Jones, the former Department of Health employee who built the state’s much-praised COVID-19 dashboard before being fired over what she said was refusing to “manipulate data.” Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger sent a statement confirming the seizure of computer equipment at Jones’s Tallahassee home …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump’s staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill are urging him not to concede even after President-elect Joe Biden wins the Electoral College vote next week, calling on their party’s leader to fight for his unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud all the way to the House floor in January. Asked if Trump should concede next …

“This election is going to come down to turnout. The objective fact is I believe Trump probably did actually carry Georgia. I believe that the election process is a mess. I really wish the governor would call a special session to clean it up. And Republicans simply have to turn out more votes than Stacey Abrams can steal. It’s a …

Reuters reports: Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler danced around questions about whether President Donald Trump lost the Nov. 3 election in a debate with her Democratic challenger on Sunday before two Georgia runoffs that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. As the debate began, Loeffler sidestepped a question about whether she agreed with Trump’s baseless claims that last month’s election …

The New York Times reports: A doctor who is skeptical of coronavirus vaccines and promotes the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment will be the lead witness at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday, prompting criticism from Democrats who say Republicans should not give a platform to someone who spreads conspiracy theories. Dr. Jane …

The Associated Press reports: Candidates for one of two U.S. Senate seats still hanging in the balance will face off in a debate that is drawing strong interest beyond Georgia. That is because the seat — now held by incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler and being challenged by Democrat Raphael Warnock — is one of two that will tip control of …

Politico reports: Rep. Adam Kinzinger is sticking around next Congress — and the Illinois Republican isn’t done sticking it to Donald Trump. Kinzinger, fresh off a re-election victory in his conservative district nestled between Chicago and Peoria, has been dialing up his criticism of the president since Nov. 3. Kinzinger also insists he has no motive other than feeling a …

ABC News reports: The legal process concerning election results must be allowed to play out, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” but nearly 50 court cases brought by the Trump campaign have been thrown out due to lack of evidence. Braun has been an ardent defender of President Donald Trump and has followed his lead in …

Reuters reports: The largest U.S. bank lobby group is spending $1 million on television ads to boost Republican Senator David Perdue in a bid to ensure the Senate remains in Republican hands after Georgia election runoffs in January, according to federal filings. Perdue, who sits on the Senate Banking Committee and has long been an industry ally, backing lighter banking …