Arizona’s attorney general files lawsuit against US House
(MENAFN) Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, along with Democratic Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the US House of Representatives, claiming that Speaker Mike Johnson unlawfully prevented Grijalva from being sworn in following her September election victory.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is actively stripping the people of Arizona of one of their seats in Congress and disenfranchising the voters of Arizona’s seventh Congressional district in the process,” Mayes said, describing the action as “taxation without representation.”
“I will not allow Arizonans to be silenced or treated as second-class citizens in their own democracy,” she added.
The lawsuit, submitted to a federal court in Washington, DC, contends that the Constitution does not grant the Speaker the power to delay seating a duly elected member. It seeks a ruling permitting Grijalva to take her oath of office “by any person authorized by law to administer oaths.”
Johnson defended his stance, stating that he is “following the Pelosi precedent” by waiting until Congress reconvenes, referencing a previous instance when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi delayed swearing in members during a congressional recess. He explained that Grijalva won her seat after the House “had already gone out of session” and said he intends to administer the oath “on the first day we come back.”
The complaint alleges that Johnson’s refusal may be intended to block a vote on releasing documents related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as to increase his leverage in budget negotiations.
Grijalva secured her seat in the September 23 special election with nearly 69% of the vote, according to reports.
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