Bush Files Lawsuit to Prevent Manual Recount in Fla.

Nov. 13 -- Following is an official complaint for injunctive relief filed by Florida registered voters and presidential candidate George W. Bush to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to prevent the manual recount of votes in Florida. The text is printed in its entirety.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTFOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

NED L. SIEGEL, GEORGETTE SOSA, DOUGLAS, GONZALO DORTA, CARRETTA KING BUTLER, DALTON BRAY, JAMES S. HIGGINS, and ROGER D. COVERLY, as Florida registered voters,

And

GOVERNOR GEORGE W. BUSH and DICK CHENEY, as candidates for President and Vice President of the United States of America,

Plaintiffs,

Vs.

THERESA LePORE, CHARLES E. BURTON, CAROL ROBERTS, JANE CARROLL, SUZANNE GUNZBURGER, ROBERT LEE, DAVID LEAHY, LAWRENCE KING, JR., MIRIAM LEHR, MICHAEL McDERMOTT, ANN McFALL, and PAT NORTHY, in their official capacities as members of the County Canvassing Boards of Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Broward and Volusia Counties, respectively,

Defendants.

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF

Plaintiffs, by their counsel, seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against Defendants, state the following:

INTRODUCTION

1. This lawsuit is brought to preserve the integrity, consistency, equality, and finality of the most important civic action that Americans take: their votes in an election for the President of the United States. It is brought reluctantly, because the election of the President is properly left to the people, not the courts. But it is necessary because the current course of events threatens to undermine that democratic process.

2. The Constitution and laws of the United States and the laws of Florida prescribe a process for selecting electors of the President and Vice President of the United States. Pursuant to those requirements, the people cast their votes on November 7, 2000. The votes (other than the overseas absentee ballots) were counted in Florida and Governor George W. Bush and Dick Cheney won the most votes.