Earlier today, RNLA published a press release applauding the creation of Lawyers for Trump and praising its national co-chairs. Lawyers for Trump's co-chairs include RNLA's Co-Chair and California RNC Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon, RNLA Board of Governors member Stefan Passantino, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. All four are fantastic choices to lead this crucial coalition needed to ensure open, fair, and honest elections this fall.

Earlier today, Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. announced the launch of Lawyers for Trump. RNLA Co-Chair Harmeet Dhillon and RNLA Board of Governors Member Stefan Passantino are both serving as Co-Chairs of Lawyers for Trump. Arizona Chapter Chair Kory Langhofer, President David Warrington, and Executive Director Michael Thielen are also serving on the Lawyers for Trump Advisory Board.

On Tuesday, the Center for American Liberty, founded by RNLA Co-Chair Harmeet Dhillon, announced that they will be suing California Governor Gavin Newsom over his executive order which bars in-classroom education for 80% of California’s children. The complaint was filed on behalf of a group of parents who have a diverse set of concerns as a result of Newsom’s order which applies to public and private schools.

The Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and the Republican Party of Florida secured a victory for election integrity by reaching a settlement in Nielsen v. DeSantis on Sunday. Earlier this year, plaintiffs sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to radically alter Florida's absentee ballot laws to allow ballot harvesting and require absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted. As part of the settlement agreement, plaintiffs dropped all substantive claims in the suit.

On Monday morning, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s legal team led by Sidney Powell filed a scathing brief in opposition to U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan’s Petition for Rehearing En Banc filed in response to the D.C. Circuit’s decision in June ordering Judge Sullivan to dismiss the charges against Flynn. The brief illustrates Judge Sullivan’s mishandling of Flynn’s case following the Department of Justice’s decision to no longer pursue charges after discovery of new evidence.

The DC Board of Elections held a special meeting today to allow for public comment regarding its plan to mail ballots to every voter and to have only 40 polling locations open throughout DC for the November election – over 100 fewer polling locations than it usually has during an election.  The RNLA submitted a comment in opposition to the Board's plan due to its potential to disenfranchise voters. 

One of the hallmarks of the Trump Administration has been placing judges on the federal bench. As of June, President Trump had his 200th federal judicial nominee confirmed by the Senate. Notably President Trump has appointed two justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. One of the most lasting effects of these appointments has been the strengthening of religious liberty which has been under attack over the past several decades. In this past year’s term alone, the Court handed down 3 major victories for religious liberty in Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue, Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, and Little Sisters of the Poor Saints Peter and Paul Home v. Pennsylvania.

While only Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Utah currently conduct all of their elections by mail, Democrats have ramped up their efforts recently to push for universal vote-by-mail for November’s Presidential Election. However, a nationwide universal vote-by-mail system would be extremely detrimental to the integrity of our elections. The presence of “out-of-date voter rolls, undue influence over voters, foreign interference through counterfeit ballots, [and] ballot harvesting through unscrupulous parties” would weaken an already susceptible form of voting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in the number of Americans who choose to vote by mail. For instance, North Carolina election officials expect 10 times the usual number of voters to cast their ballots by mail.

Absentee voting is an important option to protect the right to vote for those who are sick or afraid to vote in person due to COVID-19. However, voting by mail is not only more susceptible to fraud but threatens to disenfranchise voters who never receive their ballots or inadvertently complete their ballot incorrectly.

RNLA Honors Brenda M. Hankins with the

Betty Murphy Award

The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) is pleased to announce Brenda M. Hankins as the recipient of the 2020 Betty Murphy Award, which was presented at the National Election Law Seminar on July 11 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Hankins was selected for the Betty Murphy Award as she is an unsung hero, trailblazer, community service leader, and an organization builder who inspires others’ spirits.