The Supreme Court summarily rejected an emergency application by a Republican congressman that, had it been granted in time, may have allowed Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes from states disputed by Republicans, possibly giving President Donald Trump a second term.
The high court’s unsigned decision in Gohmert v. Pence, court file number 20A115, was made public Jan. 7 at about 1 p.m., nine hours after Congress formally certified Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. The certification itself came after the congressional proceedings were halted for hours when protesters bearing Trump campaign flags and paraphernalia stormed the U.S. Capitol, destroying property and clashing with police.
