Texas attorney general sues battleground states in Supreme Court over election results

Latest legal effort to help Mr Trump despite string of courtroom defeats across the country

The Texas Attorney General has sued four battleground states directly in the Supreme Court to try and overturn Donald Trump’s election defeat.

Ken Paxton launched legal action against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which were all won by Joe Biden as he claimed the White House.

Now Mr Paxton alleges that the Covid-related changes to election procedures in the states violated federal law and he wants the US Supreme Court to block those states in the electoral college.

It is the latest legal effort by supporters of the outgoing president to try and help him cling to power.

But lawyers and backers of the president have suffered a long string of defeats in courtrooms across the country in their attempts to prop up Mr Trump.

The outgoing president has refused to concede defeat to Mr Biden and has made wild claims of voter fraud during the election.

But he has been unable to provide any proof to back up those claims and election officials have certified the results in all the battleground states.

In his lawsuit filed to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mr Paxton claimed that the four states broke the law by changing their election policies and allowed voter fraud to take place.

He also asked the country’s highest court to push back the 14 December deadline for states to appoint their presidential electors.

“That deadline, however, should not cement a potentially illegitimate election result in the middle of this storm,” wrote lawyers for Texas.

Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was quick to reject the claim.

"The allegations in the lawsuit are false and irresponsible," said Georgia's deputy secretary of state, Jordan Fuchs.

"Texas alleges that there are 80,000 forged signatures on absentee ballots in Georgia, but they don’t bring forward a single person who this happened to. That’s because it didn’t happen.”

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dismissed Paxton's suit as "a publicity stunt.”

"Mr. Paxton’s actions are beneath the dignity of the office of Attorney General and the people of the great state of Texas," she said.

Last month is was reported that the FBI was investigating allegations that Mr Paxton broke the law in using his office to benefit a rich donor.

Former members of his staff told investigators that the politician committed bribery, abuse of office and other crimes to help Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, according to the Associated Press.