The state elections agency in Pennsylvania is seeking reimbursement from a rural county and its elected officials for legal fees and litigation costs incurred during a three-year battle over allowing outsiders to examine voting machines in support of former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. Secretary of State Al Schmidt has asked the Republican-controlled Fulton County government, Commissioner Randy Bunch, former Commissioner Stuart Ulsh, and their lawyer Thomas Carroll to repay the state a total of $711,000 for outside counsel’s legal fees and related costs. Most of the fees were incurred due to delays and obstruction by the Fulton officials in appointing a third-party escrow agent to take possession of the voting machines as ordered by the Supreme Court in April.
The state Supreme Court has cautioned Fulton County officials that they must seek approval from a lower-court judge before turning over voting equipment, after the commissioners decided to allow a lawyer who has sought to reverse Trump’s 2020 reelection loss to utilize the evidence for her clients with common interests. The county’s lawyer defended the decision to provide Trump ally Stefanie Lambert with evidence used by outside groups that examined the Dominion Voting Systems Inc. machines. The court ruled that Fulton County cannot be enjoined from joining litigation involving Dominion.
Fulton County officials, including former Commissioner Ulsh, were not aware of the recent filings, including the reimbursement request, according to Ulsh. The justices’ order issued this week denied Fulton County’s request to put on hold a judge’s order selecting an independent safekeeper for the Dominion machines used during the election won by President Joe Biden. The justices had previously ordered that the Dominion machines be placed in the custody of a neutral agent at the county’s expense, a transfer that occurred last month.
Fulton County, located in south-central Pennsylvania on the Maryland border, gave Trump over 85% of its vote in 2020. However, Trump lost Pennsylvania to Biden by more than 80,000 votes. The ongoing legal battle over the voting machines and reimbursement of legal fees highlights the contentious aftermath of the 2020 election and the efforts by some officials to challenge the results. The state elections agency is seeking to hold the county and its officials accountable for their actions related to the examination of voting machines and the costs incurred as a result.
The involvement of outside groups and lawyers in the examination of voting machines in support of Trump’s claims of election fraud has led to legal challenges and disputes between county officials, the state elections agency, and the courts. The decision by Fulton County officials to provide evidence to a lawyer representing clients with common interests in challenging the election results has raised concerns about the integrity of the process and the potential impact on future elections. The reimbursement request for legal fees and litigation costs is part of the state’s efforts to address the fallout from the 2020 election and ensure accountability among elected officials involved in challenging the results.
