Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–December 12, 2016
Ten members of the Electoral College have signed on to a letter requesting that U.S. intelligence officials brief them on any continuing investigations of Trump’s relationship with Russia before the 538 electors meet next week to finalize the election. Politico writes:
In a letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper the electors — nine Democrats and one Republican — argue that they require the information ahead of Dec. 19, when the Electoral College is set to meet and select the next president.
“The Electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations,” they wrote. “We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as President of the United States.” […]
Though the letter doesn’t explicitly endorse a separate effort by electors in Colorado, Washington and California to stop Trump from winning the presidency, it represents the latest effort by Democratic electors to look to the Electoral College as a possible bulwark against a Trump presidency. The letter follows on the heels of two Democratic congressmen — David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Jim Himes of Connecticut — who suggested this weekend that the Electoral College should consider whether to block Trump’s election.
Signatories of the letter, who represent five states and the District of Columbia, include Nancy Pelosi’s daughter Christine Pelosi, a California superdelegate, and former New Hampshire Rep. Carol Shea Porter, who just won her seat back.
Blocking Trump’s election is a heavy lift that would require convincing at least 37 Republican electors to abandon Trump. Even then, the decision would ultimately fall to the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
Source: http://dailykos.com
