Coleman Appeals To State Supreme Court
Last week, a three-judge panel determined that, following a recount and months of legal wrangling, Democrat Al Franken had ultimately secured 312 more votes than Coleman in their battle for a Minnesota Senate seat.
The panel indicated Franken should be declared the winner of the race. Coleman's legal team maintains that 4,400 absentee ballots went uncounted.
"The Minnesotan Supreme Court is the right place for these issues to be heard, reviewed, and decided," Coleman said in a statement. "And, I believe that the voices of 4,400 Minnesotans hang in the balance, and with it, their rights to due process and equal protection."
Said Coleman's legal spokesman, Ben Ginsburg: "The foundation of our case is that the three judge panel's decision to impose such a strict standard for opening and counting absentee ballots has resulted in a monumental violation of equal protection and due process rights."
In November, Coleman called on Franken to drop out of the race after initial election results showed him with a slight lead.
Anticipating that he will soon be seated, Franken today named his first Senate staffer. If seated, he will become the 59th senator to caucus with the Democrats, leaving the party one vote short of a filibuster-proof majority.
The Minnesota Supreme Court will consider Coleman's appeal on an "accelerated schedule," according to the Coleman release.