GOP Strategist Can’t Defend Suit Seeking to Void Absentee Ballots in Heavily-Black Detroit: ‘Got Me at a Disadvantage’
CNN political analyst Scott Jennings was hard-pressed to come up with a defense of a Michigan lawsuit seeking to void mail-in ballots in Detroit while allowing those cast elsewhere in the state to go unchallenged.
On Monday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit by Kristina Karamo, who is running to be Michigan’s next secretary of state. That suit sought to nullify absentee ballots cast in the state’s largest city, where Black people comprise 77% of the population. The suit alleged concerns about voter fraud.
Calling it “unprecedented” and “intolerable” in the ruling, a Wayne County Court judge wrote, “The idea that the Court would single out one community in the state to be treated adversely when Plaintiffs have provided no evidence in support of their allegation simply cannot be allowed to occur.”
Soon after the ruling was handed down, Jennings was asked by CNN’s Bianna Golodryga whether he views the failed suit as trying to suppress the vote in Detroit, where Democratic voters dominate.
I disagree,” he said. “I think all legal ballots should be counted and I think each state should follow the rules that they have on the books. And that’s what any political party should be for. I think the Democrats have been arguing about voter suppression for the better part of this cycle as a distraction when, in fact, we’re going to have a massive turnout.”
Jennings called the idea “made up.”
Victor Blackwell pressed him on the fact the suit only targeted Detroit.
“But this Karamo lawsuit focused only on Detroit voters – the Blackest city in Michigan, one of the Blackest large cities in the country,” Blackwell said. “If there’s a new rule that needs to be imposed, why not for the entire state of Michigan instead of what would likely to be an advantage for Democratic candidates?”
Jennings came up empty.
“Yeah, you’ve got me at a disadvantage on the finer legal point on this one,” Jennings responded. “But I’ll just say, I think if you cast a legal ballot, it oughta be counted.”
Watch above via CNN.
