Roy Moore loses again: Democrat Doug Jones officially declared winner of Alabama Senate election after judge turned down voter fraud claims

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Alabama election officials declared Democrat Doug Jones the winner of a special Senate election held earlier this month.

A judge had rejected Roy Moore's attempt to stop the state from making his defeat final. The state's canvassing board met and signed the papers shortly after 1:00 p.m. local time.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick on Thursday denied Moore's attempt to delay the certification of votes while Moore's claims of voter fraud are investigated.

Hardwick said he lacked jurisdiction to decide the case – meaning that Moore, a former state Supreme Court chief justice, may have filed the lawsuit in the wrong court. 

Moore had sued late Wednesday night in an 11th-hour attempt to stop Alabama from certifying Jones as the winner.

Moore lost a U.S. Senate race in a shocker after being accused of child molestation and other forms of sexual misconduct. He sued 14 hours ahead of Thursday's final chapter. 

Jones defeated Moore by about 21,000 votes.

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Former judge Roy Moore lost his U.S. Senate election after being accused of child molestation and other sexual abuse; he unsuccessfully challenged the result and sued for a new contest

Democrat Doug Jones defeated Moore by about 21,000 votes out of 1.3 million cast

Members of the Alabama state election canvassing board wasted no time Thursday afternoon in declaring Doug Jones the special election victor

The canvassing board and Alabama secretary of state John Merrill never wavered and inked the paperwork shortly after a judge turned down Moore's request for a stay

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said on CNN that Moore wouldn't be able to stop the process resulting in his formal defeat.

'We will sign the documents certifying him as the senator for the state of Alabama,' Merrill said. 'He will be sworn in by Vice President Pence on January 3 when the Senate returns.'

Moore never officially conceded the race, and insisted in a statement Thursday that the election was 'fraudulent.'

'I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama,' Moore said. 'I have no regrets. To God be the glory.'

Moore's attorney wrote in the complaint filed late Wednesday that he believed there were irregularities during the election and said there should be a fraud investigation and eventually a new election. 

'This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone,' Moore said in a statement released Wednesday announcing the complaint.

'We call on Secretary of State Merrill to delay certification until there is a thorough investigation of what three independent election experts agree took place: election fraud sufficient to overturn the outcome of the election.'

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said Thursday that Moore's lawsuit won't stop the inevitable

Moore spokeswoman Janet Porter said on CNN that expert testimony would show that 'there is fraud enough in just one county to turn this thing around'

Moore spokeswoman Janet Porter said Thursday afternoon on CNN that 'this election was fraudulent. What we need to do is ask the secretary of state to do his job and to investigate this.'  

She claimed expert testimony would show that 'there is fraud enough in just one county to turn this thing around. And if I was secretary of state, I would like to get to the bottom of it no matter who it that I support.'

Merrill replied less than an hour later on the same network: 'People are entitled to their own opinion but they are not entitled to their own facts.'

A Christian conservative, Moore is a former judge whose loss dealt a stinging blow to President Donald Trump – who had given Moore his full-throated support – and narrowed the GOP's control of Congress' upper house to 51-49.

But Moore's campaign on Wednesday alleged it may have been rigged, meaning he won't ride his now-famous horse Sassy into the sunset without a fight.

'The purpose of the complaint is to preserve evidence of potential election fraud and to postpone the certification of Alabama's Special Election by Secretary of State John Merrill until a thorough investigation of potential election fraud, that improperly altered the outcome of this election,' the statement said.

Jones is expected to be certified as the winner on Thursday and he will be sworn in as a U.S. senator on January 3

Moore submitted an affidavit with his lawsuit claiming that he had passed a lie-detector test proving that he never had sexual contact with three women who accused him

It cited 'irregularities in 20 precincts' of the state's Jefferson County which it said were 'enough to reverse the outcome of the election,' quoting the views of conspiracy theorist Richard Charnin who claims the 2004 presidential election and 2016 Democratic primary were also rigged.

The complaint also contains an affidavit from Moore 'stating that he successfully completed a polygraph test confirming the representations of misconduct made against him during the campaign are completely false.'

Moore took the lie-detector test after the Dec. 12 election, and steadfastly avoided discussing the allegations before that.

'All I know is it was a renowned independent expert that he went before, and took the polygraph test, and – not surprising to anyone who knows Judge Moore – he completely passed it,' Porter said on CNN. 

'Whaddya know? He didn't know any of these women and he never conducted, engaged in sexual misconduct.'

Moore, who has suggested the 9/11 attacks may have happened because of a lack of faith in God and argued Muslims should be barred from holding office, had wanted to bring his fiery brand of Christian religious activism to Washington.

He was set to cruise to victory until allegations by several women that he assaulted, molested or pursued them when they were teenagers, including sexually touching one who was 14 years old at the time.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill told The Associated Press Wednesday evening that he has no intention of delaying the canvassing board meeting.

'It is not going to delay certification and Doug Jones will be certified (Thursday) at 1 p.m. and he will be sworn in by Vice President Pence on the third of January,' Merrill said.

In the complaint, Moore's attorneys noted the higher than expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County, and said that Moore's numbers were suspiciously low in about 20 Jefferson County precincts.

Merrill said he has so far not found evidence of voter fraud, but that his office will investigate any complaint that Moore submits.

Moore has not conceded the race to Jones and has sent several fundraising emails to supporters asking for donations to investigate claims of voter fraud.

Jones and Moore were competing to fill the U.S. Senate seat that previously belonged to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Moore's campaign was wounded by accusations against Moore of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls decades ago.