On Friday, the Porter Wright Morris & Arthur law firm announced that it was withdrawing from one of the cases contesting mail-in ballots in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. It was the second law firm this week to bow out of a Trump lawsuit contesting the election.
Lawyers at the PA law firm said in a court filing that it had decided that its clients—the Trump Campaign and two registered voters—”will be best served if Porter Wright withdraws,” Reuters reported.
The campaign is in the process of retaining new counsel, Porter Wright said in the filing to U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The lawsuit, filed on Sunday in federal court in Pennsylvania, alleges that the state’s mail-in voting system “lacked all of the hallmarks of transparency and verifiability that were present for in-person voters.”
“We’ve committed to the court to fulfill our obligations as required to ensure transition to substitute counsel, and so as not to cause material adverse effect on the client’s interest. We will have no further comment,” Porter Wright said in a statement.
Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement: “The President’s team is undeterred and will move forward with rock-solid attorneys to ensure free and fair elections for all Americans.”
According to Reuters, the law firm was “facing criticism over its work for the campaign from some Democrats and The Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump Republicans.”
Earlier this week, Porter Wright said that it has a “long history” of bipartisan election work which “calls for us to take on controversial cases.”
On Tuesday, another law firm withdrew from a Trump Campaign lawsuit alleging that Arizona’s Maricopa County incorrectly rejected some votes cast on Election Day. Snell & Wilmer said it would not comment on client matters.