HARRISBURG, Pa.– In an effort to again support Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, the PA GOP has filed a second amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. The second brief aims to assist the state’s two top lawmakers’ efforts to block the implementation of a court-drawn map in advance of this year’s elections. In moving forward with drawing new congressional districts, the appeal claims the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has unconstitutionally seized powers allotted to the state legislature in the U.S. Constitution.
“We’re hopeful and believe that our amicus filing today on behalf of the PA GOP clearly sets forth the harm that will be sustained by our congressional candidates as well as the citizens of PA should this map be implemented before our upcoming elections. This hasty implementation will result in a complete compromise of the integrity of election results through both the creation of confusion among residents regarding which district they live, as well as candidates no longer being in districts in which they have been already campaigning for months. We are hoping these factors as well as others put forth by our state’s top lawmakers in their appeal will assist the U.S. Supreme Court in readily determining that the actions of the PA Supreme Court should be stayed,” said Joel Frank, PA GOP General Counsel, and his partner Scot Withers, Lamb McErlane.
Last Wednesday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked for responses to the request for a stay filed by Scarnati and Turzai. Those responses were to be entered by today at 3 p.m. Both the Democratic voters who originally challenged the map as well as Governor Tom Wolf were expected to respond.
“We are now facing the real-world consequences of both judicial-mandering by Democratic Party operatives hiding behind robes and the compromise of separation of powers, a fundamental concept at the basis of both our PA and U.S. Constitutions. These consequences include confusion and chaos compromising the complete integrity of upcoming election outcomes as well as setting a dangerous precedent for allowing an unconstitutional seizure of power by the judicial branch,” said Val DiGiorgio, Chairman, Republican Party of Pennsylvania
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