Top legislative Republicans are stepping into a lawsuit involving failed attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh.

They’re asking a judge to not require him to pay the legal fees of those he sued in an unsuccessful bid to be declared winner.

In a court brief, Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma did not pick sides over the question of whether Kris Mayes won.

Instead their attorney Tom Basile said there is no evidence that Hamadeh acted in bad faith when filing his suit or when requesting a new trial after a judge ruled against him.

In their own filing, lawyers for Attorney General Kris Mayes contend the challenge to the results never should have been brought forward.

They say the challenges were based on nothing more than speculation.

The legal filing tab of $5,300 from the state lawmakers is being paid for by taxpayers.