Quick Takes: New Developments In Sham AZ Senate Election Audit (Updated)

Jeremy Duda from the Arizona Mirror reports:

They're asking Fann to halt the audit. "At this point, additional audits will have little value other than to stoke conspiracy theories and partisan gamesmanship – or worse."

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"In short, this appears to be a decision driven by politics rather than a search for the truth."

— Jeremy Duda (@jeremyduda) April 13, 2021

From Democracy Docket:

Many companies have signed onto statements in support of voting rights. But are any actually taking concrete steps to turn their words into actions?

Take a look and which companies have made statements, and be on the lookout for a new list from us soon👀https://t.co/6bwLes6CH2

— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) April 12, 2021

https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1381001358480916485

NBC News reports, Top private law firms plan ‘SWAT teams’ to fight voting restrictions in court:

First, it was the businesses. Now, it’s the bar.

More than a dozen of the country’s top law firms have committed to join forces to challenge voting restrictions across the country, adding legal might to the corporate pressure campaign opposing Republican-led attempts to overhaul elections in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s loss.

One of the effort’s leaders, Brad Karp, chairman of the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison of New York, said Monday that 16 firms had signed on so far, including his. The lawyers will act like “SWAT teams” for legal action, he said. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale School of Management professor who is working to help mobilize corporate America against the restrictions, described the legal coalition as an “army of election law experts ready to dispatch at a moment’s notice.”

The group came together from conversations among major law firms about publicly taking a stand against restrictive voting laws like the one enacted in Georgia last month, as well as bills under consideration in Texas, Arizona, Florida and other states.

“I believe it is critically important for the private bar, first, to send a powerful, unified message to government officials that it is unacceptable to make voting harder, not easier, for all eligible voters,” Karp said. “Supporting the right of all eligible voters to cast ballots for candidates of their choosing is central to our democracy and should be embraced by all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation.”

Sixty-five law firms, meanwhile, signed on to a statement first reported Monday that urges elected officials to prioritize voting access. The list of signatories includes leaders from Perkins Coie of Seattle, as well as Davis Polk & Wardwell; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; and Paul, Weiss, all headquartered in New York, according to The American Lawyer, a legal publication.

“Making voting easier, not harder, for all eligible voters should be the goal of every elected official. Election laws that impose unnecessary obstacles and barriers on the right to vote and that disenfranchise underrepresented groups represent a significant step backwards for all Americans,” the statement said.

Of the 65 firms, Karp said, 16 committed to mobilize manpower.

The legal effort, which he said he expects to expand, would see thousands of lawyers partner with the advocates and lawyers who typically challenge election laws in the states. Karp said the group is planning a multiyear effort, with presences in as many states as needed.

Corporations began speaking out against the Republican-led efforts late last month, after Kemp signed a sweeping overhaul into law in Georgia, which President Joe Biden flipped blue for the first time in decades. Major Georgia-based companies, like Delta and Coca-Cola, sharply criticized the law; Delta’s CEO denounced it as being “based on a lie” after months of prodding by activists in the state.

A letter from Black business leaders — published in a full-page ad in The New York Times and signed by more than 70 Black business executives — helped spur more than 200 corporate leaders to speak out and, in some cases, act, advocates said. Major League Baseball announced that it was moving its All-Star Game out of Atlanta in protest.

More than 120 chief executives and senior leaders, lawyers and experts joined a Zoom call Saturday to plot their next moves, NBC News reported. The private-sector leaders discussed issuing more public statements, pulling investments from states that pass restrictions and getting involved in voting rights-related legal action.

Other corporate giants singled out restrictive proposals in Texas’ Republican-controlled Legislature for particular condemnation, while Georgia lost its first film production over the law Monday.

UPDATE: Amazon, BlackRock, Google, Warren Buffett and hundreds of other companies and executives signed on to a new statement released on Wednesday opposing “any discriminatory legislation” that would make it harder for people to vote. Hundreds of Companies Unite to Oppose Voting Limits, but Others Abstain (excerpt):

It was the biggest show of solidarity so far by the business community as companies around the country try to navigate the partisan uproar over Republican efforts to enact new election rules in almost every state. Senior Republicans, including former President Donald J. Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell, have called for companies to stay out of politics.

The statement was organized in recent days by Kenneth Chenault, a former chief executive of American Express, and Kenneth Frazier, the chief executive of Merck. A copy appeared on Wednesday in advertisements in The New York Times and The Washington Post.

“It should be clear that there is overwhelming support in corporate America for the principle of voting rights,” Mr. Chenault said.

The statement does not address specific election legislation in states, among them Texas, Arizona and Michigan, and Mr. Chenault said there was no expectation for companies to oppose individual bills.

“We are not being prescriptive,” he said. “There is no one answer.”

Mr. Frazier emphasized that the statement was intended to be nonpartisan, arguing that protecting voting rights should garner support from Republicans and Democrats alike.

“These are not political issues,” he said. “These are the issues that we were taught in civics.”

UPDATE: ‘We stand for democracy’: Read the statement from top companies and executives opposing voting restrictions:

Hundreds of major U.S. companies and executives signed a statement opposing laws restricting voter rights, released Wednesday as a two-page ad in major newspapers under the heading: ‘We Stand For Democracy’.

Coming as Republican state lawmakers propose and adopt voting bills in Georgia and other states, the statement was signed by corporations including Amazon, Bank of America, Microsoft and Twitter, as well as by investors including Warren Buffett. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Delta — which spoke out against Georgia’s law after its signing by Gov. Brian Kemp — did not sign.

Here is the full text of the statement, which ran in the New York Times and other publications.

“We stand for democracy.

A government of the people, by the people.

A beautifully American ideal, but a reality denied to many for much of this nation’s history.

As Americans, we know that in our democracy we should not expect to agree on everything.

However, regardless of our political affiliations, we believe the very foundation of our electoral process rests upon the ability of each of us to cast our ballots for the candidates of our choice.

For American democracy to work for any of us, we must ensure the right to vote for all of us.

We all should feel a responsibility to defend the right to vote and to oppose any discriminatory legislation or measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot.

Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy and we call upon all Americans to join us in taking a nonpartisan stand for this most basic and fundamental right of all Americans.”

The Times said the statement was led by former Amex Chief Executive Ken Chenault and Ken Frazier, CEO of Merck. The two men coordinated a letter last month that was signed by 72 Black executives and made a similar point, noted the Washington Post.