A group of Georgia voters has filed a federal lawsuit in Atlanta to keep Secretary of State Brian Kemp—the Republican candidate running for Governor against Democrat Stacey Abrams– from exercising any further powers of the Secretary of State’s Office in presiding over the General Election.
The emergency legal papers were filed late Tuesday on behalf of five Georgia voters. They are represented in the matter by Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group.
In a statement, the plaintiffs said they are seeking a temporary restraining order barring Secretary Kemp from being involved in the counting of votes, the certification of results, or any runoff or recount procedures that would normally be exercised by the Secretary of State’s Office or the Board of Elections, on which he also sits.
“That no person should be a judge in their own case is about as basic a rule of fairness as you can get … Secretary Kemp … has mis-used his official position to try to tilt the playing field of the election in his favor.”
The lawsuit cites a recent effort by Kemp to use the Secretary of State’s Office’s official powers to post accusations against Democrats on the Secretary of State’s official website.
