The MeidasTouch Podcast - MAGA Mike Gets Sued as Shutdown Stunt Goes Wrong

Episode Date: October 16, 2025

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on MAGA Mike Johnson getting served with a litigation demand letter from the Arizona Attorney General informing him that he is in imminent jeopardy of getting sued over his shutdown stunt of not swearing in Arizona Congresswoman Elect Adelita Grijalva. Go to https://Graza.co and use code: MEIDAS to get 10% off "The Trio" and get to cookin' your next chef quality meal! Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Yep. Installed window sensors, smoke sensors, and HD cameras with night vision? No. And you set up credit card transaction alerts, a secure VPN for a private connection, and continuous monitoring for our personal info on the dark web? Uh, I'm looking into it. Stress less about security. Choose security solutions from TELUS for peace of mind at home,

and online. Visit tellus.com slash total security to learn more. Conditions apply. Swear her in. Swear her. Hey, Maga Mike Johnson, you're about to get served with a lawsuit. You saw right there the Democratic congressional delegation marching in lockstep to Maga Mike Johnson's speaker office demanding that Adelaidea Griehalva, the Congress. woman elect from Arizona's seventh congressional district finally be sworn in. Maga Mike is unlawfully preventing her from being sworn. And now Arizona's attorney general is saying, Maga Mike, I'm about to sue you. What you are doing is violating the law and Arizona is about to lay the smackdown on you. The attorney general from Arizona says, take a look right here,

Maga Mike, we have the official certificate of election for Adelaita Griehalva. She's been officially certified in Arizona, even though she won by over 40 points. And you've previously have sworn in people in pro forma session who've won by much smaller margin. It was not a contested outcome. We all knew that she was going to win. By the way, Maga Mike, even Marjorie Taylor Green says that you are a weak, pathetic little man, Marjorie Taylor Green right there. But here's the letter that was sent by Arizona Democratic Attorney General, Kristen Mays, to Maga Mike Johnson.

Here's what she says. On behalf of the state of Arizona, Maga Mike Johnson, I added Maga Mike Johnson. I demand that the Honorable Adelita Grijalba be swore into office as the representative for Arizona's seventh congressional district and be allowed to assume her seat without further delay. failing to seat Ms. Griehalva immediately or to otherwise provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated will prompt legal action. We're going to sue your ass. Maga Mike is basically what Attorney General for Arizona, Chris Mays, is saying. The House of Representatives uniquely Democratic function makes frustrating the will of the voters in selecting their representatives particularly egregious.

a member of the House of Representatives holds the only proportionally and directly elected position in the federal government and quote, it is particularly essential that the House should have an immediate dependence on and an intimate and an intimate

sympathy with the people federal's paper number 52 James Madison cited the House's sole power to originate certain consequential matters such as revenue bills follows this step. status. Then she cites Federalist number 58, 65, 66, 81, Alexander Hamilton, cited there as well.

As you know, Maga Mike Johnson, on September 23rd, 2025, I'm adding, by the way, Maga Mike Johnson. As you know, on September 23rd, 2025, Arizona's 7th Congressional District held a special election to replace the late Raul Grijalva. Miss Grijalva was elected with nearly 70% of the vote and unofficial results were provided to you by the Arizona Secretary of State. Ms. Griehalva and the state expected that you would follow your usual practice and swear her into office at the earliest opportunity, just as you had done with five previous members elected in special elections. We're mostly all Republican.

Specifically, you followed that process with Celeste Malloy, who was elected to Utah's second district after Vince Fong was elected by California's 20th district, after Jimmy Petron. was elected by Florida's first district, and after Randy Fine was elected by Florida's 6th District, and after James Walkinshaw, the only Democrat there, was elected by Virginia's 11th District. Yet the House and its leadership have yet to swear Ms. Grijalva into office. Today, the Arizona Secretary of State will complete the canvas, and the governor will transmit to the House a certificate of election. Ms. Grijalva no longer needs a House resolution to be sworn into office with the house in possession of the certificate of election it is now a simple

ministerial duty to administer the oath of office the effect of your failure to follow usual practice is that Arizona is down a representative from the number to which it is constitutionally entitled and more than 813,000 residents of Arizona's seventh congressional district currently have no representation in Congress. The, quote, loss of a representative to the United States Congress undoubtedly satisfies the injury, in fact, requirement of Article III standing, the standing to sue in federal court. It goes on to say, the House and its leadership have acted ultra-viries outside of authority and in violation of the Constitution.

The Constitution leaves the House without authority to exclude any person duly elected by her constituents who meets all of the requirements for membership expressly prescribed in the Constitution. The House's power to exercise control over its membership is limited to its role as the, quote, judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members. No one questions Ms. Grijalva's election or its returns or raises an issue of her qualifications. The House is without any authority to refuse her oath and admissions. You and your staff have provided ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd stories as to why Ms. Griehalva has not been sworn in.

It's particularly worrisome comment. An aide connected the swearing in and admission to the ongoing budget fight, suggesting that the House is trying to use Arizona's constitutional right to representation in the House as a bargaining chip. Arizona's right to a full delegation and the right of the residents of the Congressional District 7 to representation from the person they recently voted for are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation. We thus demand that Ms. Scrihalva be immediately sworn into office and admitted to her rightful seat. We ask that within two days of the date of this letter, you provide this office with your assurance of when and where that will take place, which must be immediate and prior to the date the house comes back into regular session. Should you fail to provide such assurance, we will be forced to seek judicial relief to protect Arizona and the residents of its seventh congressional district.

Thank you for your attention and timely response, Attorney General Kristen Mays. Then Attorney General Mays went on CNN, and she goes, if I have to, I am going to sue Maga Mike Johnson. Play this clip. Yeah, I mean, I really think that we are going to have no other choice, Laura, except to take Speaker Johnson to court. if he refuses to respond to us, if he doesn't quickly swear in, Adelaide Agarhalva, again, depriving her of the ability to help her constituents. We've had some flooding out here in Arizona. She has no way to help those people in southern Arizona who have been impacted by that flooding. so many other things that she can and should be doing as an elected member of Congress. And so if I have to all take him to court, you know, again, there's no legitimate reason for him to refuse to swear her in right now.

No other reason that I can think of except that perhaps she's the final vote to discharge the Epstein files. And it's not fair for Mike Johnson to be holding the state of Arizona hostage because he doesn't want to release the upstune files. This episode of the Midas Touch podcast is brought to you by Graza. Everyone knows I love to cook with my wife. And lately, what's taken my food to the next level is Graza. Graza is my olive oil of choice. And it has been, by the way, since even before they came on as a sponsor.

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That's Graza.co and use code Midas, M-E-I-D-A-S. Now, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs was recently on the Midas Touch Network. She put out a statement, Arizona voters have spoken and today their choice is official. Adelita Grihalva has been certified as the next representative for the 7th District. Further delay undermines the will of Arizona voters. Speaker Johnson should swear in Atalita for Arizona in now and honor democracy. Adelita Griehalva put out the following statement. Speaker Johnson is stalling because he knows I will be the 218 signature on the discharge petition to release the Epstein files.

Now, ain't that the truth? Read my full statement below. Representative Grehalva's statement on certification of election results. Quote, today's certification simply confirms what the voters made clear 21 days ago. We won this election decisively by more than 40,000 votes, said Representative Elegrehalva. I want to thank Governor Hobbs, Attorney General Mays, and Secretary Fontes for fulfilling their duties and standing up for the more than 800,000 Arizonans who currently do not have a voice in Congress. They did their jobs.

Now it's time for Speaker Johnson to do his. I also want to thank Attorney General Mays for her letter. I will continue to be in close contact with her as we explore legal options if the Speaker continues to drag his feet. Speaker Johnson has exhausted every excuse to delay my swearing in. I am simply asking him to abide by the same precedent he set when he swore in his Republican colleagues within 24 hours of their special elections and during pro forma sessions earlier this year.

Any further delay reveals his true motive. Speaker Johnson is stalling because he knows I will be the 218 signature on the discharge petition to release the Epstein files. The cost of his obstruction is the silencing of over 800,000 southern Arizonans who deserve to have a voice in Congress. It is also robbing them of the essential constituent service they count on every day, especially during this Republican government shutdown. powerful words there. Now, Maga Mike Johnson did a gigantic eye roll as Rupert writes in response to Fox News pressing him on the Epstein cover-up, and that's why he's not swearing in Grijalva. Let's play this clip. You said last week that you would swear in, I believe the girl, whenever she wants. She's written a letter to your office. You've not sworn her in. Yeah. I understand how both form of sessions. Yes.

Doesn't your resistance to not swear her in at fuel to the fire that this is about the Epsom? No. Let's talk about, let's talk about, let's talk about, let's talk about Grahava and Epstein. Okay. Next, Maga Mike Johnson has asked, well, what's your end game here? Do you have a strategy to which Maga Mike says, we don't have any strategy at all. Play this clip. You've been doing this every single day coming up here trying to pressure Senate Democrats. They've been not much. They bought this bill time and time again. So in what point for the good of the country, do you need to change your strategy, trying to waste you to deal with. It's a great question, Manu asked. Why don't I change my strategy? I don't have any strategy, Manu. I'm doing the right thing, the clearly obvious thing, the traditional thing. That's exactly what Chuck Schumer voted for in March of this year and gave impassioned speeches was the right and only thing. I don't have anything to negotiate. And then Adelita Grihalva, Congresswoman

elect put out the following video. Let's play it. Hi, friends. Adelita Grihalva, your Congresswoman elect. I'm here in D.C. standing right outside of Speaker Johnson's office. I was certified today. Certified. That means the governor, the attorney general, and the secretary of state have all said, yes, she won. And now they're asking Speaker Johnson, demanding that he swore me in. So that's why I'm here.

I came with a lot of my colleagues from the Democratic Caucus and the Women's Caucus. They all joined me in asking, demanding that I get sworn in. I'm going to be here for two days, Speaker Johnson. You want to swear me in? Meanwhile, this is how the MAGA Republican leadership, and the right-wing podcasters are spinning this. Republicans are brutally mocking congressional Democrats after they formed an angry caravan

to march to Speaker Johnson's office and demand right to his face, he swearing a Democrat representative elect. But Mike wasn't even there. One of the Democrat officials even rudely screamed at a Capitol police officer. The House isn't even conducting business. The Democrats shut down the government,

open it up, we'll get sworn in. Just I'm, that's how the right wing argument is here. Maga, Mike wasn't even there. So you're bragging that the MAGA Republicans are out taking a vacation and refuse to talk to Democrats at all, yet alone negotiate with them while 20 million Americans are about to lose their health care while the MAGA Republicans just gave $20 billion to bail out Argentina, $20 billion to bail out Argentina, while 20 million Americans lose

their health care. 20 billion dollars to bail out Argentina while 20 million Americans lose their health care. Should we say it one more time? 20 billion dollars to bail out Argentina while 20 million Americans are losing their health care. That's Trump and MAGA Republican America last priorities for you right there. Do you remember though, what was that last week or a week and a half ago where Manu Raju does a great job covering Congress? He asked Mike Johnson, so why not just wear her in. And remember Maga Mike Johnson's response? He's like, okay, let's schedule. We'll do it. Just have her contact me. And then Maga Mike got the order from Donald Trump. Do not do it. She'll be the 218 signature to release the Epstein files. Maga Mike Trump will say, my names, this is my

hypothetical conversation. My name's all over those Epstein files. You got to block that because the Maga Republican Party is the party that covers up child sex trafficking rings. It's one of the things they're doing for this government shutdown. And all the American people, know what these sicko MAGA Republicans are up to. Here's what MAGA and Mike Johnson had to say play this clip. Earlier this year, you swore in two Republican members during the pro forma session. So why not swear in Adelaide pre-Halba, who were selected two weeks ago during the pro forma session? This has it had to do with her 218 signature on the district district.

No, it has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back. It's a ceremonial duty. Look, we'll schedule it, I guess, as soon as she wants. It has nothing to do with it. We're in pro forma session because there is nothing for the house to do. The house has done its job. People say, why don't you do more?

Let's do more. Now you should do something. We already did something. It was passing a clean CR. Then Donald Trump went to Maga Mike Johnson during a weird speech yesterday. Good boy. Good boy, Mega Mike. Good boy, Maga Mike.

Watch this here playing this clip. Thank you very much. Many members of my cabinet are here, just about all of them here. and I won't go into every single one of them, but I'll announce a few of the people that have really turned this country around and helped me incredible people. Speaker to the House, Mike Johnson, where is Mike?

What a job you're doing, Mike. What a job you're doing. And I watched you this morning and you're in there trying to say, look, just let the country open. Everything will be fine. We're dealing with some radical left lunatics. and I would just wish Charlie was here to fight us. I think the fight would have been over already.

There you have it, folks. Maga Mike, about to get his ass sued. Everybody hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Thank you for watching. Thanks for watching. Be sure to add the Midas Touch podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast for new updates every single day.