Attorney General Dave Yost urged to join fight against voter fraud

Attorney General Dave Yost urged to join fight against voter fraud

A resolution passed Thursday by the Washington County Commission was met with a "baffling" court brief by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

The resolution urged Yost to join in a multi-state suit claiming voter fraud.

"An overwhelming majority of 69.53 percent of Washington County voters expressed their clear preference that Donald J. Trump be re-elected to the Presidency of the United States; and the veracity of the national election results have not been contested to multiple states through dozens of public and private lawsuits and recounts and investigations are ongoing in multiple states," read Commissioner Kevin Ritter.

The state of Texas, along with some 18 others, have filed suit with the U.S. Supreme Court claiming voter fraud has led to the disenfranchisement of the citizens, the resolution states.

"Washington County respectfully requests the Honorable David Yost … shall file a brief requesting to join Texas as a plaintiff in its action against Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all voters in the casting and counting for President Electors," Ritter read.

Instead, in a brief filed Thursday afternoon, Yost's office "expressed skepticism about Texas's proposed remedy, which asks the Court to order the legislatures in the defendant states to appoint a new set of electors for the Electoral College, and believes the time has come for the Court to make a definitive decision on how the Electors Clause should be interpreted."

The brief states "the relief that Texas seeks would undermine a foundational premise of our federalist system: the idea that the states are sovereigns, free to govern themselves. The federal government has only those powers that the Constitution gives to it. And nothing in the Constitution empowers courts to issue orders affirmatively directing the states how to exercise their constitutional authority. The courts have no more business ordering the people's representatives how to choose electors than they do order the people themselves how to choose their dinners."

The Electors Clause, as part of the 14th amendment to the Constitution, notes "no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

Ritter said having taught the Constitution and the American founding, he's "utterly baffled by Mr. Yost's argument."

"C.S. Lewis described the sort of timidity we saw today from the attorney general when he said, 'we make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful,'" he noted.

Ritter said federal courts, like state courts, lack authority to change the legislatively chosen method for appointing presidential electors.

"And so federal courts, just like state courts, lack authority to order legislatures to appoint electors without regard to the results of an already-completed election," he added.

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In other commission business, Rich Hays, director of the Washington County Emergency Management Agency, brought an appointment and contract for a new 911 medical director to the commission for approval.

Dr. Colin Brockett, an emergency medical physician, agreed to take the position.

Due to a new emergency medical dispatching software, ProQA, the EMA was required to have a medical director overseeing protocols, Hays said.

"There are certain things they have to have a medical doctor sign off on," he added. "It has to be signed off on before (Priority Dispatch) will even install the software."

Brockett will be responsible for overseeing and making decisions for protocols related to emergency medical dispatching on behalf of the Washington County 911 Technical Advisory Committee.

According to the contract, his duties will include ensuring the communications center is established in accordance with local guidelines and policies; approve training programs and participate in ongoing evaluation and review of those programs; approve and oversight of dispatch continuing education programs; evaluate dispatch life support medical care, post-dispatch and pre-arrival instructions rendered by EMD personnel.

¯ The commission approved the new public road at the southern entrance to the Warren Local School campus. The final public hearing and testimonials was held Thursday, although the naming of the road was tabled until the next meeting to allow for time for the Barlow township community to submit suggestions for names.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.