Griffin vs. Riggs - it’s finally over

I couldn’t say much about this, until today

I couldn’t say much about this - until today.

Here’s what happened:

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On my second day as Attorney General, I called a meeting to discuss the state Supreme Court election litigation.

As you know, the race had been called for Justice Allison Riggs. Then the other candidate, Jefferson Griffin, sued, and a sprawling legal battle began.

Our office - NCDOJ - led the legal defense of the election. Our client was the State Board of Elections, and their position was clear: the votes had been tallied three times, and Riggs had won.

It was a long meeting. But by the end, I was confident we had the right team in place. We’ve got some brilliant attorneys at NCDOJ, and this team, in particular, is truly impressive.

We made a series of early strategic decisions in that first conversation - including one that I insisted on: we wouldn’t make any substantive public comment until the case was over.

Close elections are inherently partisan. And while public consensus seemed to grow over time that this election battle should end, I wanted to avoid inflaming passions or creating any perception of bias. It was clear we had the stronger legal argument, so I was comfortable letting the case speak for itself.

Still, the question kept coming: “Why isn’t the AG holding a press conference about this?”

As the fight went on, the pressure to respond publicly increased. But the goal wasn’t a soundbite. The goal was to win in court. The ideal scenario was one in which our legal arguments stayed front and center - and everyone stayed focused on the work.

The case made stops in just about every court you can imagine. It started with the State Board of Elections, then moved to state trial court, then to federal district court, back to state court, up to the Court of Appeals, then to the state Supreme Court - and finally back to federal court, where - on Monday - a federal judge (appointed by President Trump) ordered the election results to be certified.

And then, early today, we were in a meeting about tackling money laundering and fentanyl when someone broke the news: “Griffin concedes.”

It was a big moment for a small team that’s been carrying this huge case for months. I can’t tell you how many hours they’ve worked - or how many legal filings they’ve written, revised, and argued along the way.

Now that we’ve won, here’s what I want to say:

I’m proud that our office led the legal defense of this election. It was a serious legal fight to protect the lawful ballots of thousands of voters.

But let’s be clear - this never should have happened.

There was no sound legal basis for trying to change the rules after the fact. From the start, it was an attempt to twist the law to reverse the outcome of a legitimate election.

And it put tens of thousands of valid votes at risk - including ballots from military servicemembers and long-time North Carolinians who followed the rules and voted lawfully.

This challenge failed. But it got more traction than it ever should have. That fact alone will encourage some to try again.

We’ll be ready. We will always defend your right to vote - and the lawful outcomes of elections.

I’m deeply proud of the attorneys in my office who fought to protect those votes - and won.

Congratulations to Justice Allison Riggs.

The rule of law held. The will of the voters was upheld.

Best,

Jeff

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