SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - President Donald Trump’s election campaign abruptly asked a court Monday to drop a lawsuit that challenged New Mexico’s use of drop boxes for absentee ballots in the 2020 general election as well as vote-counting equipment sold by Dominion Voting Systems.
The request filed Monday with a federal court in Albuquerque would dismiss the lawsuit from Trump but allow the concerns to be revisited. Trump campaign attorney Mark Caruso of Albuquerque could not be reached immediately for comment.
Similar allegations by the Trump campaign about Dominion vote-counting have been rejected as without evidence by the federal agency overseeing election security. Concerns raised by the state Republican Party about ballot drop boxes in two counties were resolved in state district court in October.
State election regulators and the Democratic National Committee want allegations in the case to be dismissed permanently.
“Simply withdrawing this lawsuit does not undo the weeks of lies and disinformation parroted by President Trump and leaders of the New Mexico Republican Party,” Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement Monday. She had requested that Trump’s campaign be sanctioned for pursuing meritless litigation.
The state Republican Party has publicly echoed some concerns raised in Trump’s lawsuit about the election vote count, voting machines and drop boxes.
Joe Biden won the vote in New Mexico by nearly 11%.
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