Trump campaign files federal suit in Michigan to block results from being certified

The Trump campaign late Tuesday filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan seeking to stop the state from certifying its final vote count until allegations of irregularities are addressed.

The lawsuit marks the second legal challenge the campaign has filed in Michigan as part of a broader effort to call into question the results in battleground states where President Trump is trailing President-elect Joe Biden. The campaign had previously filed a similar lawsuit in Michigan claims court, where a judge rejected its request.

The lawsuit has little chance of swaying the outcome in a state where Biden beat Trump by roughly 145,000 votes. Still, the Trump campaign has insisted it is worth pursuing as the president himself refuses to concede the election, despite Biden being projected as the winner.

“As we have said from the beginning, our campaign will continue to ensure all Americans can trust in a free and fair election, and this lawsuit is a noteworthy step toward achieving that goal,” Trump campaign general counsel Matt Morgan said in a statement.

The newest suit, which targets the Democratic stronghold of Wayne County and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), contains additional affidavits that allege irregularities in the tabulation of votes.

Observers claim in the affidavits that they were unable to get close enough to watch votes being tabulated and claim Republican observers were improperly harassed.

The Trump campaign has filed legal challenges in Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan since Election Day, and it has said it will pursue a recount in Wisconsin.

Biden is leading in each of those states, and the Trump campaign has failed to produce concrete evidence of fraud on a widespread scale despite claims from the president. Instead, their complaints have been focused on a small number of ballots or how poll observers were allowed to watch the tabulations.