Allison Riggs vs. Jefferson Griffin: How did we get here?
IN NORTH CAROLINA AND WHY SOME
BANKS STILL AREN'T LEGAL.
A BIG DECISION TONIGHT IN THE
RACE FOR A SPOT ON THE NORTH
CAROLINA SUPREME COURT. THANKS
FOR BEING HERE. AT 7 O'CLOCK.
>> I'M ASHLEY ROW. A WAKE
COUNTY JUDGE REJECTED
REPUBLICAN JEFFERSON GRIFFIN'S
REQUEST TO THROW OUT 10'S OF
THOUSANDS OF BALLOTS. IT WAS
AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE UP A SLIM
734 VOTE DEFICIT TO DEMOCRAT
ALLISON RIGGS. WE'VE TALKED A
LOT ABOUT THIS STORY HERE AT
7 O'CLOCK. AND WE'RE GOING TO
WALK YOU THROUGH THE TIMELINE
OF THIS CASE IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY JUST HOURS
AGO, RIGS AND GRIFFIN WERE
MAKING THEIR ARGUMENTS IN
COURT. PROTESTERS SHOWED UP
TO CRYING FOUL AT GRIFFIN'S
ARGUMENTS, THE JUDGE PROMISED A
QUICK DECISION AND HE WASN'T
KIDDING. WRAL'S. AARON THOMAS
IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE NORTH
CAROLINA SUPREME COURT TONIGHT.
AARON, WALK US THROUGH THIS
DECISION.
>> YEAH, WELL, AS YOU
MENTIONED, ASHLEIGH, THIS HAS
CERTAINLY BEEN A LONG BATTLE
FOR WHO WILL TAKE ONE OF THOSE
SEATS HERE IN THE NORTH
CAROLINA SUPREME COURT. BEHIND
ME. RIGGS TEAM ARGUING THAT
THIS IS CERTAINLY A VICTORY FOR
THE RULE OF LAW AS WELL AS
NORTH CAROLINIANS. MEANWHILE,
WE'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR
FROM GRIFFIN, BUT THE NORTH
CAROLINA GOP, THEY ARE
SUPPORTING HIM. THEY SAY THAT
THEY ARE CONFIDENT THIS
DECISION WILL BE APPEALED AND
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
JUDGE GRIFFIN IN HIS PURSUIT
OF ELECTION INTEGRITY. NOW,
TODAY WE DID HEAR FROM
ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING BOTH
JUDGES OF GRIFFIN AND RIGS AS
TO WHY THESE VOTES SHOULD OR
SHOULD NOT BE THROWN OUT DURING
TODAY'S HEARING. ATTORNEYS FOR
THE STATE ELECTIONS BOARD
ACCUSE GRIFFIN OF TRYING TO
DISQUALIFY VOTERS BUT CHANGING
RULES AFTER THE ELECTION
OFFICIALS CONDUCTED MULTIPLE
RECOUNTS RESULTING IN A SLIM
LEAD AND RIDGES FAVOR BY MORE
THAN 700 VOTES. GRIFFEN ARGUES
OVER ALLEGED VOTING OVER A
REGULARITY EASE. AS THIS
HEARING PLAYED OUT, THERE WERE
PROTESTERS WHO GATHERED AND
DROVE OUTSIDE CHANTING, QUOTE,
STOP THE STEAL. HERE'S JUDGE
RIGGS WHO SPOKE WITH THE CROWD
FOLLOWING THAT 2 HOUR HEARING.
>> NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS
TAKES, I AM COMMITTED TO
UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW.
>> NOW SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT
VOTERS DECIDE ELECTIONS AND I
REMAIN COMMITTED TO SEEING THIS
FIGHT THROUGH IN UPHOLDING
NORTH CAROLINIANS,
CONSTITUTIONAL FREEDOMS.
WE ALSO TRIED TO ATTEMPT TO
SPEAK WITH THAT GRIFFIN AFTER
PROTESTS TOOK PLACE. HE CHOSE
NOT TO SPEAK. WE'RE STILL
WORKING TO FIND OUT IF HE WILL
PROVIDE ANY COMMENT AT THIS
STAY WITH US ON OUR LATE NEWS
AS WE SPEAK WITH POLITICAL
SCIENCE PROFESSORS WHO SAY
DESPITE TODAY'S RULING BY THIS
CASE IS FAR FROM OVER. AND
AARON THOMAS WRAL NEWS LIVE
IN RALEIGH. ALL RIGHT THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT THIS RACE SINCE
ELECTION DAY.
>> LET'S QUICKLY RECAP AND AND
ANSWER THE QUESTION. HOW DO
WE GET HERE?
>> THE ELECTION, OF COURSE, WAS
IN NOVEMBER. AT FIRST, THE
MARGIN BETWEEN RIGS AND GRIFFIN
WAS JUST 625 VOTES. GRIFFIN
REQUESTED A RECOUNT. AND THAT'S
HOW WE GOT TO THAT 734 NUMBER
YOU KEEP HEARING. GRIFFIN
REQUESTED ANOTHER RECOUNT, BUT
THAT ONE DIDN'T CHANGE
ANYTHING. THAT'S WHEN GRIFFIN
AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PICKED
OUT THOSE 60,000 BALLOTS WITH
THE MISSING INFORMATION.
AGAIN, THE VOTERS DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING WRONG. THOSE WERE
ERRORS MADE BY ELECTION
OFFICIALS. GRIFFIN HAS THE
STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO
THROW OUT THOSE BALLOTS.
BUT THE BOARD SAID NO, THEY
OPPOSE THE IDEA OF CHANGING
ELECTION RULES AFTER THE FACT
AT THIS POINT, ALL THE OTHER
ELECTIONS WERE CERTIFIED.
SO EVEN IF THE BALLOTS WERE
THROWN OUT, IT WOULDN'T IMPACT
ANY OTHER RACE. THE CASE WENT
BACK AND FORTH IN FEDERAL COURT
AND STATE COURT LAST WEEK.
A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THE STATE
COURT SHOULD BE THE ONE MAKING
THE DECISIONS TODAY. THAT COURT
RULED AGAINST GRIFFIN, BUT AN