Rep. Mo Brooks, a Duke alum, says he will challenge Electoral College vote

Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), Trinity ‘75, says he plans to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. 

Brooks, who represents Alabama’s 5th congressional district, told Politico that he will challenge the victory on Jan. 6, when Congress is expected to certify the Electoral College vote. He cited widespread voter fraud, for which there is no evidence, as the basis of his opposition.

“In my judgment, if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast, [President] Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin, and Congress’s certification should reflect that,” Brooks said in an interview with Politico. “This election was stolen by the socialists engaging in extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures.”

Trump, who lost the election to Biden, has for weeks falsely claimed that the election was stolen. Legal experts have said that the president’s legal challenges to the election are based on “unsubstantiated evidence” and “outlandish claims.” 

To successfully challenge the results, Brooks must be joined by one lawmaker from the Senate to force a deliberation. As reported by AL.com, Brooks “has had no direct communication with any senator thus far.” 

Brooks acknowledged to Politico that if no one joined him in the contest, it “would be more of a symbolic protest.”

“In my judgment, based on what I know to be true, Joe Biden was the largest beneficiary of illegally cast votes in the history of the United States,” Brooks said to AL.com. “And I can either ratify that illegal vote system, or I can object to it, in hopes that our election system will become more secure in future elections.”

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represents California’s 15th congressional district, responded to the news on Twitter, posting, “The House determines its own membership. Should we swear-in @RepMoBrooks if [he] thinks the election he also was voted in on was fraudulent?”

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