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Supreme Court leaves sanctions in place against Sidney Powell and others over 2020 election suit in Michigan
Washington — The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up a bid by a group of Trump-allied lawyers who faced monetary and professional sanctions in Michigan as a result of their baseless claims raised in a lawsuit that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud.
The one-line order from the high court rejecting the appeals brought by lawyers Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and five others leaves in place a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit that partially upheld the penalties imposed in the wake of the last presidential contest.
Powell and Wood were among a group of lawyers allied with former President Donald Trump who pushed unfounded claims about the 2020 election in courts in key battleground states. Powell famously pledged to “release the Kraken” after the 2020 election, likening the mythical sea monster to the legal challenge she was pursuing as part of an effort to overturn President Biden’s win and keep Trump in power for a second term.
Powell, Wood and the five other lawyers were sanctioned in Michigan as a result of a lawsuit that attempted to reverse the state’s election results. A district court ordered them to pay more than $175,000 to cover the legal fees that the city of Detroit and state incurred to defend the lawsuit. In addition to the monetary penalties, Powell, Wood and the others were referred to the bar associations in each of their states for disciplinary proceedings.
The district court said the sanctions were intended to deter future suits “designed primarily to spread the narrative that our election processes are rigged.” The 6th Circuit upheld the sanctions, but lessened the amount the lawyers had to pay to over $150,000.
Beyond the sanctions in Michigan, Powell was charged in the sprawling racketeering case brought by the Fulton County District Attorney in August. She reached a plea deal with prosecutors in October and agreed to plead guilty to six misdemeanor counts.
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Norah O’Donnell interviews Vice President Kamala Harris across CBS News platforms beginning Oct. 27
“CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell will interview Vice President Kamala Harris in Kalamazoo, Mich., this weekend for a CBS News exclusive.
O’Donnell will join the Democratic presidential candidate on the campaign trail in Houston and Kalamazoo to provide viewers with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the final days of her campaign.
The interview with the Democratic presidential nominee will air first on “CBS News Sunday Morning” on Sunday, October 27, at 9:00 a.m. ET., with additional excerpts of the interview appearing on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” “CBS Mornings,” the “CBS Evening News,” and on the CBS News 24/7 Streaming Network.
Plus, tune in to “Face the Nation” on Sunday for moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan’s interview with Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
The Emmy Award-winning “Sunday Morning” is broadcast Sundays on CBS beginning at 9 a.m. ET. “Sunday Morning” also streams on the CBS News app [beginning at 11 a.m. ET] and on Paramount+, and is available on cbs.com and cbsnews.com.
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World awaits potential Israel, Hamas cease-fire news as leaders head to Qatar
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Why Biden apologized to Native Americans
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