Minnesota 8th Congressional District Rep. Pete Stauber joined ranks with 125 other Republicans in signing on to the Texas lawsuit contesting the 2020 election results in four battleground states ( US Supreme Court swiftly ends Trump-backed Texas bid to upend election results ,” Dec. 11).
The presidential election was won by Joe Biden by a huge margin, both in electoral and popular votes. Recounts and investigations in multiple states revealed no fraud or wrongdoing.
Democracy depends on fair elections with all voters participating, candidates accepting the results, and a peaceful transition of power. This is the American way, fundamental to constitutional democracy.
Stauber supporting Trump’s efforts to overturn the election put in question Stauber’s belief in our systems of fair elections and democracy. Supporting this lawsuit implied election fraud. It was the same election and same process in which he was elected.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro called the effort from Texas to overturn the election results "legally indefensible" and "an affront to principles of constitutional democracy." On PBS, David Brooks and Mark Shields suggested that any of the Republican congressmen from Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, or Georgia who signed their support should resign now due to the claims of their own state election “being criminal.” Journalist Ari Berman stated on Twitter that none of the 126 Republicans who signed the “Covenant of Sedition” should be seated when the new Congress opens in January, based on Section III of the 14th Amendment. Sedition is defined as “incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority,” and is limited to organizing and encouraging opposition to government rather than directly participating in its overthrow. It is hypocritical that Stauber wants the presidential results discarded and overthrown while retaining Republican House and Senate wins in the same election.
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Stauber’s motto includes ”preserving our way of life.” We would hope this means supporting election integrity and our constitutional democracy.
Edward and Colleen Martin
Duluth
