U.S. Appeals Court rejects bid to block Biden's GA win

A federal appeals court on Saturday rejected a bid by conservative lawyer Lin Wood to block President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Georgia.

The appeals court in Atlanta agreed with the lower court, saying Wood had failed "to allege a particularized injury" and the request was moot anyway since Georgia had already certified the election.

The court added in its ruling: "We may not entertain post-election contests about garden-variety issues of vote counting and misconduct that may properly be filed in state courts.”

The court also left in place procedures that will make it easier for voters to cast absentee ballots in Georgia’s upcoming Senate runoff elections, which will determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the Upper Chamber.

On Friday, Trump’s campaign said it filed a lawsuit in Georgia state court also seeking to invalidate the presidential election results there.

The campaign said its new lawsuit would include sworn statements from Georgia residents alleging fraud.

But Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other state officials have said repeatedly they have found no evidence of widespread election fraud.

Trump on Saturday went after Raffensperger and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp again, tweeting: "I will easily & quickly win Georgia if Governor @BrianKempGA or the Secretary of State permit a simple signature verification.”

Some Republicans have raised concerns that Trump - in undermining the voting process - could convince some of his backers that there is no point in voting in January’s runoff elections, thus hurting the Republican incumbents.

Trump's team and various individuals backing him have suffered a string of legal defeats around the country, including cases filed in Nevada and Wisconsin, that also sought to reverse election results.