David Shafer, former chair of the Georgia Republican Party, said on May 13 that a sealed federal lawsuit involves Georgia Supreme Court candidates Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin suing the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates judicial misconduct.
U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is reportedly presiding over the case. Shafer said she is Stacey Abrams’ sister and described the plaintiffs as “the two Democrat backed candidates for the Georgia Supreme Court.” He also said, “The secret lawsuit is against the Judicial Qualifications Commission, presumably to stop it from enforcing the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has asked to intervene and unseal the case, arguing voters have an interest in reviewing the filings ahead of the May 19 judicial election.
Judge Gardner has reportedly declined to unseal the lawsuit and held a closed hearing on the candidates’ request for a temporary restraining order, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Georgia Supreme Court race has drawn attention in recent weeks, with Jordan and Rankin backed by reproductive-rights groups and the contest centering in part on abortion access and state abortion restrictions, according to Georgia Recorder.
In 2020, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger criticized a ruling by Judge Gardner in a separate election-related case involving voter challenges in Ben Hill and Muscogee counties, calling it a “direct attack on rule of law in Georgia and the integrity of elections in this state,” according to the Office of the Secretary of State.
David Shafer previously served as chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. He was a Republican member of the Georgia State Senate from 2002 to 2019, representing Senate District 48, a suburban district north of Atlanta that includes parts of Fulton and Gwinnett counties.