Madam Secretary

President Conrad Dalton's inauguration is only one day

away, but he's still facing a legal challenge

to the legitimacy of his win.

Governor Sam Evans filed a lawsuit

against the state of Ohio for allowing Dalton

to be put on the ballot,

citing a little known anti-lobbying law called

the Vasey Act.

Today we've learned the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

has agreed to hear the case.

If the court rules

in Evans' favor,

it could not only revoke Dalton's presidency,

it could spark a constitutional crisis

that would shake the very foundation

our government was built upon.

What's shaking the very foundation now?

We begin our team coverage in...

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

has agreed to hear Evans' case

against Ohio.

Unbelievable. What are they thinking?

Are they really gonna uphold some obscure law from 1893?

We'll find out.

Oh, hey,

here's something weird.

I got a call from the CIA.

They want me to come in for an Ex Post Facto Re-debrief

regarding Black Dog Station.

Well, I was in the CIA for 20 years

and I've never heard of

an Ex Post Facto Re-debrief.

When they shut down the operation down

they called it a "hotwash."

Now they want to get me debriefed.

Why does all their terminology sound like

something that happens in a nursing home?

Baby, you okay?

Yeah. Why?

When you get anxious you take it out on your clothes.

Evans is naming me specifically in the lawsuit.

He's accusing me

of making overtures to influence Ohio state senators.

When I did that NFL thing

in Ohio,

I also took some legislators out to dinner.

Applebee's.

That's where they wanted to go.

I unduly influenced them with potato skins and hot wings.

Look, I think the only reason they're hearing the case

is so that Evans can't cry foul.

They're not gonna

upend all of American politics over this.

Well, either way,

the whole thing is putting a damper

on the inauguration tomorrow.

Hey, guys. - Hi.

- Are you cleaning out your closet? - Maybe.

So this is a good time to talk about

what you're wearing to the inaugural ball?

As good a time as any, I guess.

A stylist is gonna bring some gowns

to the office and I'm gonna choose from those.

Really?

Can I come?

Oh, you can do better than that.

You can choose for me.

- Seriously? - Yeah.

Can I also blog about it?

Blog your heart out.

You're the best.

I'll come to your office right after school.

Okay, my mood is starting to turn around a little bit.

- Wow. - Hey, you're looking very

young DC professional

poised to take over the world,

with just a dash of girlish charm.

Well, that is exactly what I was going for.

Oh, that's right.

It's the first day of your internship with Russell Jackson.

Are you excited?

- With just a dash of terrified. - (chuckles)

I still can't believe he offered me the job.

You saved the guy's life, I think he felt

it was the least he could do.

He's really scary, though.

Oh, trust me, there is way more bark

than bite with him.

And that was before the heart attack.

I mean, he's just coming back from

a three-week whale-watching cruise.

If that doesn't mellow you out, nothing can.

Oh, Lord.

Inauguration week is really getting to Blake.

- Bye, guys. - Bye. - Bye, Dad.

Hi, Blake, everything's good,

I'm just on my way to the office.

Whoa, slow down, slow down, slow down.

Blake, I thought we talked about decaf.

What...

Gifts?

Wow.

You weren't exaggerating.

Yeah.

Sorry for sounding overwhelmed

and possibly even a little nudgy, it's just

I can't move any of these until you sign off on them.

Then they have to be processed by the Protocol Gift Unit

and-and catalogued

by the National Archive.

And there's a room on the third floor that looks like

Ali Baba's cave.

It's okay.

We'll get through it together.

No, we won't.

Now I have to go to the Port of Baltimore

to sign for a gift from

Byambyn Sendoo, the Mongolian minister of education.

Why do you have to sign for it?

They wouldn't say.

They were being very Port Authoritarian.

All right, look, you, uh, go sign for the gift,

and I'll start signing off on these,

and-and we'll just think of the whole thing as...

an adventure.

Adventures in hell.

I'm sorry.

Madam Secretary, I will course-correct

immediately. You know,

it's good to be the winner.

- These are the spoils of victory. Yeah.

I mean, unless the Sixth Circuit Court

finds in favor of Sam Evans.

Then we have to send it all back.

Hmm?

Go.

Drive safe.

- What? - Just for that,

- you're gonna help me sort. - Awesome.

Oh, boy.

- What's that? - It's nothing.

Go, go.

Sort.

Uh, what are the categories?

Uh...

Don't worry about it, my dad's a hoarder.

I'll figure it out.

Oh.

Russell.

Welcome back.

How are you feeling?

Top-notch.

So... the cruise was great?

The cruise was excruciating.

Three weeks of watching

what's left of the glaciers float past

and trying to catch a glimpse

of a whale.

Damn leisure time is gonna kill me a lot faster

than my arteries.

Well, it's nice to have you back.

Jumping right into the fire, no less, with this Evans debacle.

We thought you might want to lend a voice

to our strategy session.

Figuring out some way to derail this lawsuit.

I'm not sure where there's much room to move.

We can't influence the court.

No, but we can put them under a spotlight.

Launch a press campaign pointing out the lack of precedent,

lean hard on the court's obligation

to consider the stability of the country,

the sanctity of the Electoral College.

Of course, that approach relies on appealing

to people's higher nature and...

you know how much faith I have in that.

Or we can try to influence Evans.

Who doesn't have a higher nature to appeal to.

He might be able to listen to reason, and...

as the aggrieved party, he can withdraw the complaint.

We can remind him that if he persists,

he won't only be burning bridges in Washington,

he risks burning down American democracy in the process.

: Okay,

y-you guys are really gonna make me be the one to say it?

The oppo research.

What happened to being a knight?

The painkillers have worn off.

And they've upped the game.

This is isn't about trying to influence an election anymore.

Election's over.

This is about dissuading someone

from blatantly abusing the court system

to change the results.

Look,

i-it's not even as dirty as it sounds.

The guy has the gene for early-onset Alzheimer's

and he didn't disclose the genetic testing

with the rest of his health report.

Now, who knows, maybe the voting public wouldn't care.

But they had the right to know.