Jason Lewis Plans to Appeal After Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Walz Restrictions

by Anthony Gockowski

Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis said he plans to file an appeal after a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit against the governor’s COVID-19 restrictions.

“I’m hardly surprised at the judge’s dismissal, though sadly for Minnesotans who still have to endure these lockdowns, these unconstitutional orders have been struck down in other states. Nevertheless, you haven’t heard the last from us on this issue. This is why federal judgeships are so important and why the election of U.S. senators who confirm them is as well,” Lewis said in a statement.

The complaint was first filed in May and argued that Gov. Tim Walz’s executive orders limiting crowd size and travel hindered Lewis’ ability to run a productive campaign.

“This limitation on the number of people that may attend a gathering severely limits the Plaintiffs’ ability to engage in Campaign Activities. Said limitation also creates an unconstitutional ban on travel that violates the U.S. Constitution. This deprivation of Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights has and continues to harm Plaintiffs,” said the lawsuit.

But U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank said Lewis failed to demonstrate that his constitutional rights were violated and dismissed the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press.

“The judge’s ruling misses the mark and opens the door to an appeal, which we intend to move forward with at this time,” Lewis said in response.

“We will keep fighting for every Minnesotan who is fighting to put food on the table. But we are also taking this fight to the ballot box on Nov. 3. The reality is Sen. Tina Smith is in favor of these never-ending, unconstitutional lockdowns which killed millions of jobs and brought our economy to Depression-era levels, and we need to ensure she is not allowed anywhere near the levers of power ever again. Our liberty, jobs, and economy depend on it,” he added.

The Associated Press report said Lewis’ lawsuit is one of 15 cases challenging Walz’s emergency powers. The government has won all seven cases that have received a ruling.

“This cause is not about me or my campaign, this fight is for every Minnesotan whose business was hurt, who missed a paycheck, or lost their job because of the one-size-fits-all economic lockdown imposed upon Minnesotans by executive order,” Lewis continued. “This fight is for every parent who is missing work because their kids are being kept out of school and need to stay home to care for them. I am fighting like hell for you because your Senator, Tina Smith, is refusing to do so, plain and simple.”

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Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and reported for The Daily Caller.
Photos “Jason Lewis” by U.S. House and “Tim Walz” by Minnesota Governor’s Office. Background Photo “Minnesota Capitol” by Fibonacci Blue. CC BY 2.0.