For Immediate Release
Tuesday, August 27th, 2024
For further information, please contact:
press-secretary@georgiagreenparty.org
Georgia Green Party Prepared to Appeal Judge Malihi Order
Legal options still open to Georgia Green ballot access efforts
Party remains ready to offer ballot qualified opposition to war and genocide
In a series of rulings adverse to the cause of political independence Administrative Law Judge Michael Malihi found reason to support each of the ballot qualification challenges filed by Democrat voters. Those Democrats seek to deny Georgia voters inclined to vote for Green and independent candidates an opportunity to see their candidates of choice on the Georgia ballot.
Judge Michael Malihi presides over ballot access challenges.
Picture Credit: Natrice Miller, AJC
Among those adverse rulings, in the case Pigg et al vs Carr et al (the Georgia Green Party slate for Presidential Electors), Judge Malihi rejected every contention of challengers but one. The Court found that the Georgia Green Party is a registered political body in Georgia and is in compliance with respect to how its Conventions were publicized and conducted, and how its slate of candidates for Presidential Electors was qualified. The Judge found that the one shortcoming was in the party’s ability to document its place on the ballot in twenty other states under a new statute adopted this past Spring.
“One cannot produce documents which do not yet exist”, said Hugh Esco, Secretary of the Georgia Green Party and the sole witness called in the case. “As our testimony made clear, Secretary Raffensberger has asked us to produce documents, many of which do not need to be filed in other states until up to three weeks after his early deadline for our filing with his office here in Georgia. This deadline undermines the intention of the General Assembly and the early date imposed serves no compelling governmental interest.”
Party officers were not surprised by the ruling given the limits imposed by the administrative procedures act which prohibit the consideration of Constitutional concerns by Administrative Law Judges. Judge Malihi’s Initial Order is now sent to the Secretary of State to inform their final determination.
“We hope though that the Secretary’s office will collaborate with us in recognition of the obvious Constitutional issues raised by the early deadline and save us all the trouble of an appeal to Fulton Superior Court,” said Craig Webster, counsel for Georgia Green Party respondents.
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Executive Summary and Table of Contents
for Supporting Documents for Georgia Green Party’s 21-2-172(g) Affidavit
Supporting_Documentation–executive_summary–toc
Decision of Judge Michael Malihi
Initial_Order–Pigg-v-Carr–2502871–20240826
Georgia Green Party
https://georgiagreenparty.org/