A federal judge ruled in favor of the state of Georgia in a lawsuit that questioned the constitutionality of the state’s election practices.
Fair Fight Georgia — a group associated with Democrat Stacy Abrams — filed the lawsuit nearly four years ago after Abrams narrowly lost her gubernatorial contest to Republican Governor Brian Kemp. In the suit, the group argued that the state’s election practices amounted to voter suppression and racial discrimination.
But when Obama appointee Judge Steve Jones gave his ruling, he threw out the argument Georgia’s voting laws violated the Constitution. Citing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Jones wrote in his 288-page order, “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the VRA.”
Following the ruling, Kemp, who was still the Secretary of State when the suit was filed, applauded Jones’ decision in a statement, writing, “Judge Jones’ ruling exposes this legal effort for what it really is: a tool wielded by a politician hoping to wrongfully weaponize the legal system to further her own political goals.”
However, his sentiment wasn’t shared by Abrams, who also released a statement on the ruling hours after it occurred.
In her statement, Abrams wrote, “While the Court’s actions are not the preferred outcome, the conduct of this trial and preceding cases and legislative actions represent a hard-won victory for voters who endured long lines, burdensome date of birth requirements and exact match laws that disproportionately impact Black and Brown voters.”
