Trump allies to Michigan judge: Force Gov. Whitmer to overturn Biden's win, give state to president

Allies of President Donald Trump want a federal court in Michigan to force state leaders to set aside election results and award its 16 electoral votes to the president.

A separate conservative group also wants the Michigan Supreme Court to invalidate the results that show President-elect Joe Biden won the state.

The latest lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Michigan and before the state's highest court, rely on unfounded allegations of widespread fraud and misconduct that judges in the state and across the country have previously rejected. Neither has a high likelihood of success.

There is no evidence of mass fraud or wrongdoing that affected election operations in Michigan or elsewhere. Biden earned roughly 154,000 more votes than Trump in Michigan.

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Last week, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers formally certified the results.

But the federal lawsuit, filed by Trump-affiliated attorney Sidney Powell and a cadre of other lawyers, wants a judge to force Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to "decertify" those results. They want to act before Dec. 14, when the Electoral College is set to meet and Biden will receive the more than 270 votes needed to formally secure the presidency.

"The multifaceted schemes and artifices implemented by defendants and their collaborators to defraud resulted in the unlawful counting, or manufacturing, of hundreds of thousands of illegal, ineligible, duplicate or purely fictitious ballots in the State of Michigan, that constitute a multiple of Biden’s purported lead in the State," the lawsuit reads in part.

Although the city of Detroit is not named in the lawsuit, it's seeking to intervene. Lawyers for the city argue the allegations of misconduct focus on Detroit, so the city should be allowed to have a say in the proceedings.

“This lawsuit dredges up baseless conspiracy theories that have been debunked and rejected every time they have been reviewed by a court. This particular suit is filed by an attorney whose claims are so detached from reality that even the Trump campaign has disavowed any association with her," said David Fink, lead attorney representing Detroit.

On Sunday, those filing the lawsuit reiterated their request for a judge to take immediate action. They also asked the judge to let them file several additional documents under seal, meaning they would not be widely accessible. They argue the people making the documents have such sensitive information that being named publicly and providing these details would risk endangering themselves and their families.

The lawsuit relies on a series of debunked or discredited theories. That includes allegations that ballot tabulating software crafted by confederates of deceased Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez helped further a massive international conspiracy against Trump, carried out in Michigan and other swing states in order to secure Biden's victory.

More: Election 2020 live updates: Michigan certifies election results finding Biden the winner

More: Fact check: Trump lawyer Sidney Powell falsely stated he won election 'by a landslide'