Trump ally lobbying fellow House Republicans to support Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the election

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a close ally of President Donald Trump, sent an email from a personal email account to every House Republican soliciting signatures for an amicus brief in the longshot Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate electoral college votes from Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The email said Trump is “anxiously awaiting the final list” to see who signs on to the amicus brief.

The amicus brief is related to an application from Texas to the Supreme Court to start a lawsuit against the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia, the four battleground states President-elect Joe Biden won in the 2020 election.

One House Republican told CNN he was put off by the Johnson email.

“Are we the party of list-making now?” the member asked.

Attorney George Conway, once a candidate for solicitor general for the Trump administration before becoming a prominent critic, said Tuesday there was no merit to the suit and described the effort as “the most insane thing yet.”

“For a member of the Supreme Court Bar to do this in the Supreme Court of the United States is absolutely outrageous,” Conway said on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” in reference to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to block election results. “It’s absurd and an embarrassment. And for a public official, let alone any lawyer, let alone any member of the Supreme Court Bar, to bring this lawsuit is atrocious.”

Johnson confirmed the email to CNN in a statement.

“Most of my Republican colleagues in the House, and countless millions of our constituents across the country, now have serious concerns with the integrity of our election system,” Johnson said. “The purpose of our amicus brief will be to articulate this concern and express our sincere belief that the great importance of this issue merits a full and careful consideration by the Court.”

Johnson also tweeted about the brief.

“Today I made arrangements to file an amicus brief in the Texas case now pending at the Supreme Court on behalf of House Republicans who are all deeply concerned about the integrity of our election system,” he wrote. “Also today, my friend, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, agreed to join our state as a party to the case in support of Texas. Stay tuned for big developments.”