Arizona Attorney General Files Lawsuit to Compel Swearing-In of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Mike Johnson to compel him to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won her late father's seat in a special election. The delay in seating Grijalva has left the residents of Arizona's 7th District without representation, according to the lawsuit.
Mayes argues that Speaker Johnson's actions are depriving Arizona residents of their rightful congressional representation and subjecting them to taxation without representation. Grijalva and congressional Democrats have been pressuring Johnson to swear her in, but the standoff has escalated with the involvement of the courts.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats believe that Johnson is delaying Grijalva's seating to prevent her from being the final signature on a discharge petition related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Johnson denies this claim and states that he will swear in Grijalva once the government reopens.
Johnson criticized Mayes for seeking publicity through the lawsuit and defended his decision to delay Grijalva's swearing-in by citing the "Pelosi precedent." Grijalva, who won the special election nearly a month ago, expressed her eagerness to start serving her constituents once she is sworn in.
Once Grijalva is sworn in, she is expected to sign a bipartisan discharge petition that would bypass Johnson's leadership and force a vote on releasing the Epstein files. The issue of the Epstein investigation has been a contentious one for both Johnson and President Trump, with calls for transparency and the release of all related documents.