Missouri led a group of 17 states in support of a Texas Supreme Court lawsuit aimed at delaying the appointment of presidential electors from fraud-rich states including Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 

The December 9th brief reiterates the argument outlined in the Texas suit, emphasizing how state officials acted unconstitutionally when their judiciaries or executive branches tampered with elections laws, including the promotion of universal mail-in ballots. Texas and the additional 18 states instead argue that only state legislatures can legislate the appointment of electors.

“The integrity of our elections is of critical importance to maintaining our republic, both today and in future elections,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt noted in a statement. “The stakes of protecting our Constitution, defending our liberty and ensuring that all votes are counted fairly couldn’t be higher. With this brief, we are joining the fight,” he added.

The brief, a motion for leave to file a bill of complaint, also highlights how the changes enacted by state executives and judicial branches laid the groundwork for massive electoral fraud.

“The Bill of Complaint alleges that non-legislative actors in each Defendant State unconstitutionally abolished or diluted statutory safeguards against fraud enacted by their state Legislatures, in violation of the Presidential Electors Clause,” the brief explains.

“All the unconstitutional changes to election procedures identified in the Bill of Complaint have two common features: (1) They abrogated statutory safeguards against fraud that responsible observers have long recommended for voting by mail, and (2) they did so in a way that predictably conferred partisan advantage on one candidate in the Presidential election,” it continues.