Arizona’s Legal Push to Swear in Adelita Grijalva Amid Legislative Standoff
In a dramatic turn of events, Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes has initiated legal proceedings to compel the swearing-in of Democrat Adelita Grijalva as a congressional representative. This action comes after U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s prolonged refusal to seat her despite her electoral victory a month ago.
Events Leading to the Legal Battle
The journey to this lawsuit began on March 13, when the 12-term Representative Raúl Grijalva passed away at 77. Adelita Grijalva, his daughter, announced her candidacy shortly after and won the Democratic primary on July 15.
Fast forward to September 23, Grijalva emerged victorious in the special election, securing nearly 70% of the votes. However, her attempt to be sworn in during a pro forma session on September 30 was thwarted as Republicans adjourned swiftly, ignoring Democratic calls to “Swear her in!”
The situation became more complicated with the onset of a government shutdown on October 1, which Speaker Johnson cited as a reason for the delay. Despite criticisms, Johnson defended his actions, noting that he had made exceptions for two Florida Republicans only because their swearing-in was set for sessions that were unexpectedly cut short. He claimed readiness to swear in Grijalva “as soon as she wants,” albeit with conditions tied to the Democratic stance on ending the shutdown.
Political Tensions and Accusations
On October 8, tensions escalated as Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly confronted Johnson, alleging the delay was to prevent Grijalva from endorsing an initiative to release the Epstein files. Gallego accused Johnson of “covering up for the pedophiles,” which Johnson dismissed as “totally absurd.”
By October 14, Attorney General Mayes had threatened legal action if Grijalva was not sworn in without further delay. Despite the certification of the special election, Johnson cited a “Pelosi precedent” to justify the delay, referencing Rep. Julia Letlow’s 25-day wait after a special election in 2021.
Legal Action and Continued Delay
With the deadline set by Mayes passing without resolution, the stalemate continued. Grijalva expressed her frustration, stating, “While we’re getting a lot of attention for not being sworn in, I’d rather get the attention for doing my job.” Speaker Johnson remained firm, indicating, “We are not in legislative session. The chronology is important. Rep. Grijalva won her race … after we had already gone out of session.”
The lawsuit was formally announced by Mayes later that day as Grijalva’s second attempt to be sworn in also failed. The legal battle now awaits resolution as the eyes of the political sphere remain on this unfolding saga.
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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