Ralph Nader is taking the unusual step of asking a Washington, D.C., Superior Court to void a Pennsylvania Supreme Court order to pay $81,000 in legal costs from his aborted 2004 presidential campaign.

In a petition filed Tuesday, Mr. Nader says the Pennsylvania court didn't render a fair and impartial decision in his case because five justices have ties with the law firm Reed Smith. Under the law, he can ask a "foreign" court to consider the case if there are concerns the original court decision was tainted.

The case began when Pennsylvania Democrats -- concerned that Mr. Nader would take votes away from John Kerry -- challenged thousands of nominating petition signatures, including signatures from "Mickey Mouse" and "Fred Flintstone." Commonwealth Court threw out the petitions and ordered Mr. Nader to reimburse Reed Smith for stenography and transcription costs. The Supreme Court concurred.

Now, Mr. Nader claims the costs are unprecedented across the country and would have a chilling effect on third-party candidates.

In the 26-page petition, Mr. Nader claims that five of the seven Supreme Court justices have ties to Reed Smith either as clients, former employees or campaign contribution recipients. For example, the firm represented Chief Justice Ralph Cappy when the Judicial Conduct Board reviewed and cleared him of wrongdoing in his role in the 2005 pay raises and Justice Ronald Castille formerly worked for the firm's Philadelphia office.

The case is in Washington because the law firm has asked a court there to have Mr. Nader's bank account attached to pay the fees. No date has been set for a hearing on Mr. Nader's complaint.