Lin Wood Blames Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell for Dragging Him Into Election Fraud Case
BY JENNI FINK ON 7/12/21 AT 12:43 PM EDT
https://www.newsweek.com/lin-wood-blames-trump-lawyer-sidney-powell-dragging-him-election-fraud-case-1608913
Attorney Lin Wood is blaming one of former President Donald Trump's attorneys, Sidney Powell, for why his name appeared on a lawsuit challenging the results of the 2016 election that could result in financial sanctions for the attorneys.
Michigan officials are asking a judge to levy financial or other consequences against the attorneys, arguing that they sowed distrust in the electoral process. The Trump team previously attempted to distance itself from Powell and never formally acknowledged Wood's involvement in the lawsuit, and on Monday, he tried to convince the judge he wasn't really a player in the case.
Wood told U.S. District Judge Linda Parker he didn't help draft the complaint and that he had "no involvement whatsoever," according to Jan Wolfe, a journalist covering legal affairs for Reuters. When asked if Powell had his permission to put his name on the case, he said he told her in general terms that he was available to help her with the election cases.
"For whatever reason, whoever filed the complaint put my name on there," Wood said. "I didn't have any specific involvement."
The lawsuit alleged there was widespread fraud in Michigan's 2020 presidential election, including that votes were destroyed or switched from Trump to President Joe Biden. The Democratic candidate won Michigan by nearly 3 percentage points, but the lawsuit sought to decertify the results of the state.
Parker dismissed the case in December, saying that it represented the phrase "the ship has sailed," and she criticized the lawyers' requests for being "stunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach." The judge also targeted the case for being more focused on the allegations' impact on voters' faith in the democratic process and trust in their government.
Dismissing the suit didn't go far enough for Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit officials, who are asking the judge to hold the attorneys accountable. They argued the purpose of the suit was to undermine trust in America's electoral process and want Powell and Wood to be responsible for court and attorney fees and face disciplinary hearings.
At Monday's hearing, the judge questioned why the attorneys didn't seek a recount or file their case in a more timely manner. The attorneys didn't bring the case until three weeks after the election or drop it after the Electoral College certified Biden's victory on December 14, recognizing the case as moot.
Later in the hearing, Wood again attempted to distance himself from the other plaintiffs, telling the judge that he did "not review any of the documents" regarding the complaint, according to Adam Klasfeld, a senior investigative reporter for Law & Crime.
David Fink, an attorney for the city of Detroit, accused Wood of lying during the hearing and associating with the case when it helps him and then backtracking when he could face consequences.
While Powell acknowledged it is "certainly possible" there could have been a "misunderstanding" with regard to her putting Wood's name on the suit, she denied she would have done it without permission.