Mike Johnson won't swear in Adelita Grijalva. So we're suing.

By Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes

Almost a month ago, on Sept. 23, nearly 70% of voters in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District cast their ballots for Adelita Grijalva. On Oct. 14, Arizona’s secretary of state officially certified Grijalva’s election. But despite that overwhelming mandate from the people, Rep.-elect Grijalva, the first Latina ever elected to Congress from Arizona, has not been sworn in or allowed to take her rightful place in the House of Representatives.

Why? Because Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to do his job.

For weeks, the speaker has stonewalled, delayed and twisted himself into knots trying to justify what is, at its core, a brazen act of voter disenfranchisement. First, he claimed Grijalva could be sworn in “as soon as she wants.” Then he insisted he couldn’t swear her in while the House was not in session, which is laughable given that earlier this year, he swore in two representatives elected in special elections during pro-forma sessions.

Why the different treatment? Johnson claims that it was because the two members had families in town. But the truth is, those two members were Republicans — and Adelita Grijalva is a Democrat. Her seating would give the Democratic minority one more vote. Specifically, she would be the deciding signature on the discharge petition to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. That means Johnson’s refusal isn’t just political pettiness — it’s an attempt to prevent and delay the American public from learning the truth about one of the most prolific sexual predators in modern history.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/mike-johnson-adelita-grijalva-arizona-lawsuit-mayes-rcna238266