How Strategic Litigation Feeds On and Fuels Political Narrative
....two original case studies from our 2024 election research to explore how these persuasion campaigns use strategic but often dubious legal action as a kind of “legal theater”—where simply engaging with courts or initiating legal processes can make a misleading political narrative seem legitimate. The mere act of filing the case is perceived as “proof” that the claim or alleged crime has happened and also serves to keep the rumor top-of-mind in the digital news cycle.
Through filing politically strategic yet factually weak lawsuits, activists drum up drama that captures online audiences’ attention, while legitimizing false narratives with the symbolic imprimatur of the legal system... Commonly, these lawsuits, filed days or weeks before the election—with no respect for deadlines—challenge laws that have been on the books for years. This timing raises questions about plaintiffs’ motives—suggesting that these filings function more as a plot device for a narrative than a good-faith effort to address a legal issue.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/how-strategic-litigation-feeds-on-and--fuels-political-narrative