Forty members of the Electoral College on Tuesday signed a letter demanding an intelligence briefing on Russian interference in the election ahead of their Dec. 19 vote.
Ten electors originally signed the letter when it was published Monday, and 30 more have since added their names.
The open letter — led by Christine Pelosi, the daughter of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) — urged Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to give a detailed briefing on President-elect Donald Trump's ties to Russia.
“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,” the letter read. The Clinton campaign applauded the effort Monday, saying it had repeatedly warned about Russian interference aimed at swaying the election in Trump’s favor.
Now there are 538 electors altogether and it only requires 270 electors to give Trump the presidency, however if enough of these electors receive a briefing and then decide that they cannot in good conscience cast their ballot for Donald Trump that could throw a monkey wrench into this whole thing.
And as unlikely as that scenario might feel, there is at least some concern on the part of the Trump campaign.
Courtesy of Salon:
Donald Trump’s campaign is pressuring Republican electors into voting for them under “threats of political reprisal,” according to a member of the Electoral College who spoke to Salon under the condition of anonymity.
“We have gotten reports from multiple people,” the elector said, “that the Donald Trump campaign is putting pressure on Republican electors to vote for him based on . . . future political outcomes based on whether they vote for Donald Trump or not.”
The elector emphasized that these reports had come straight from the Republican electors themselves, with the threats steering clear of violence but instead focusing on “career pressure.”
“It’s all political, basically,” the elector said. “If Trump becomes the president, he’s going to be able to put pressure on the state parties and they won’t be involved anymore.”
Sounds like somebody might be a little worried.
Interestingly enough I happened to catch a little of MTP Daily on MSNBC the other day, and after discussing the fact that the Electoral College was created in order to protect America from a candidate put in place and controlled by another country, Chuck Todd made this statement:
"If we are not going to use the Electoral College we should abolish it."
His point being that if the Electoral College was created to prevent the very thing we are witnessing right now, and it fails to stop it, then what use is it?
And while I rarely agree with Chuck Todd on anything, I thought that was a very valid point to make.
The only thing is, if after the Electors vote neither Trump nor Clinton gets the required 270 votes, the election goes to the House of Representatives. Each state gets one vote, with 26 votes needed to win. Unfortunately it seems obvious that Trump would be elected by the Reps.
ReplyDeleteWill a majority of Republicans in the HoR vote against him??? Country before party? doubt it.
DeleteThat will not happen, Trump trounced Hillary in the electoral college. The electoral college will deliver Trump without any of the outlying 'could happens'. The sooner you wake up to this reality the more sane you will be.
Delete"The electoral college will deliver Trump without any of the outlying 'could happens'."
DeleteSounds to me as though someone is trying desperately to shore up their own beliefs with bluster.
If the electoral college is beginning to seriously question things - and the increase in the number of electors requiring an intelligence briefing in a short time means many really do worry about the possible ties with Russia - then they should have every bit of information they require.
And doesn't it seem rather strange to you that Humpty Trumpty is trying so hard to PREVENT the electoral members from doing their jobs as THEY see it? Just as they were able to stop any serious recounts, despite evidence concerning REAL fraud in the voting?
Humpty Trumpty is SCARED. WHY?
Personally, I feel we as US citizens need to give the electors what they claim they need and let THEM decide.
Is there some reason YOU seem NOT to want that to happen?
Lol leland you are so clueless.
Delete"If the electoral college is beginning to seriously question things"
The electoral college, so to speak, is not beginning to seriously questions things.
This is about 39 DEMOCRAT electors, and 1 republican elector, all trying to stir up some press or name recognition.
Grow a brain dude. I'm not scared of anything because I live in reality. You should try it someday.
8:43, it is YOU who needs to wake up. It doesn't matter WHO the electors are. The question is a serious one and NEEDS to be explored by those who are responsible for making the decision. Period. It doesn't matter if it is mostly democratic electors or republican. The question NEEDS to be explored. By all of them. If they don't, they are not doing their job.
DeleteSERIOUS questions have been raised. Are you afraid there may be enough proof that others - including republican electoral members - may decide to question and perhaps change their vote? The intelligence community is sure they are true.
And before you use that garbage argument used by Humpty Trumpty about the accuracy of the CIA's info to Bush, it was not just they who agree the info is accurate.
As for my statement that the college is beginning to question, it is accurate. And I am merely suggesting they be provided with the information they request so they may make their decision with all the information they need.
Or are you afraid of providing someone with information to enable them to decide on their own?
Oh leland leland leland.
DeleteThe election is over. This is all just left wing hysteria being stirred around for consumption by morons like you. (39 of the 40 are Democrat electors..... right over your head hahaa).
I already told you I'm not afraid of anything because I live in the real world. Unlike you who believes everything the liberal left blogosphere is selling you.
Hillary lost because she ignored the working class, and that reflected 'bigly' in the rust belt. As far as I'm concerned, people like you are showing your true UN-american values by not accepting valid election results.
They can attempt to get any information they want. Doesn't matter. Hillary lost.
Trounsed? 45 presidents have gotten more electoral votes than him.
DeleteAnd he's lost the popular vote by the most votes in HISTORY for someone that "won" the electoral college.
In other words, biggest LOSER to actually be president.
And yet he will be president, mlaiuppa.
DeleteWhat does that say about Hillary, if she couldn't beat the biggest loser?
12:06....it says that cheating and treason by the Trump campaign worked... His place in history will always be tainted.
DeleteSorry 2:23... but just saying the word 'treason' holds no value, no matter how many videos you watch of Olbermann and Maddow.
DeleteSpeaking of cheating, how about those debate questions forwarded in advance to team Hillary? How about the internal collusion between team Hillary and the DNC to insure she would be handed the nomination?
2:35 ~ I have a question for you: WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?!
DeleteIDIOT! Why would you put a no-class low-class sociopathic pedofile in public office?!?
YOU STUPID IDIOT! I hope you get fucked in the ass without any vaseline along with the rest of us.
The Historic example of "The Electoral Vote"
ReplyDeletehas arrived when least expected. History. now what? a new election, Clinton wins, Obama stays, Bernie wins? Trump and cabinet is disqualified?
Nothing historic has arrived. Histrionics however has arrived among the overzealous 3rd tier left wing pundits attempting to remain relevant by floating grand ideas and conspiracy theories, which are then kept afloat in the liberal blogosphere for the little bottom feeders like yourself.
DeleteDonald Trump won the election, the electoral college will place Trump as the next President, and he will be sworn in. You can forget everything else the left wing blogs and Kieth Olbermann and Rachel (I'm a doctorate lol) Maddow are feeding you, as they are useless calories.
6:32 ~ You stupid idiot, what the fuck have you done?!
DeleteGood, I am glad they are demanding this.
ReplyDeleteIs this one chink of sane light that Trump and his deplorable minions will not be able to 1) plug with money, 2) deny, 3) threaten their way out of?
ReplyDelete40 have now signed letter -- why are the rest holding back? have their families' lives then threatened? like the rape-accuser? Bully Trump thinks one behavior fits all -- maybe in the mafia, Donny.
My husband received notification yesterday that his SSD will be $109.35 less per month in 2017. And so it begins....just the tip of the iceberg as to where we're headed.
ReplyDeleteThose that voted for Trump and a GOP congress are going to be mighty sorry they did.
Did your husband earn income that reduced his SS benefit?
DeleteI agree that most of them who voted for Trump are ignorant about what they voted for. I doubt many will hold Trump or his team accountable.
Looks like medicare payment deduction,
DeleteSo glad I am independent of Social Security and Medicare.
DeleteMore knowledge is only threatening if it would change the electors' votes. To not sign requesting more information is to stick one'side head in the sand. Are there threats regarding electors signing the letter to ask for more info? If the info is not threatening, no reason to fear.
ReplyDeleteMelania appeared at a scheduling court conference. Not a trial but a scheduling conference.
ReplyDeleteAre these people thin skinned?
It is ironic that we watched her husband on TV who may have lied just about everyday during the campaign either from his mouth or played the game of well I heard it but never saying where he heard it from. I think they call it fake news.
So if someone says anything about them they don't like they sue? What a sorry life being rich and being able to scare people or take their money away. Must be nice to be rich and fly or have a limo drive you from New York to Maryland to appear at a scheduling conference she didn't need to appear at?
Yahoo
Melania Trump Appears in Court for Her Daily Mail Lawsuite
Melania Trump, the incoming first lady, appeared at a court hearing on Monday in her defamation lawsuit against the Daily Mail and a Maryland blogger.
The hearing in Rockville, Maryland was a scheduling conference, according to a statement from her attorney, but her case is unusual in that presidential candidates and their spouses rarely pursue libel lawsuits in the heat of a campaign.
“Mrs. Trump was not required to attend the court conference, but chose to do so, to meet the judge, meet opposing counsel, and show her commitment to the case,” said Charles Harder, her attorney.
“Mrs. Trump looks forward to seeing the case to a successful conclusion.”
In September, she sued Mail Media, parent company of the Daily Mail, and blogger Webster Tarpley over reports that she once worked as an escort.
Read more at Yahoo
Irony: the second causality of a Trump world. She pledges to have a no more bullying kids campaign. What about her husband, Chief Bullier? How will she answer questions about that thug bully? "Sorry, I don't understand English."?
DeleteAnd her bald-faced lie about two college degrees was purged from her website when it became unexplainable. It must be nice to be above reproach.
DeleteChuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell, and Chris Matthews can go home now.
ReplyDeleteAnd stay there.
Thank god for Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Rachel, and Lawrence.
Rumor is little donnie learned tricks from the NY Russian mafia.
Figures
DeleteSome Electoral College representatives and other Americans are and were being threatened by the deplorables during this campaign season if they said something against Trump. Is this what it will be like for the next four years? There's even a thousand deplorables on motorcycles appearing at the inauguration parade and under some tree at a park I guess to intimidate anti Trump people.
ReplyDeleteWell, if they want to prevent it, they need to vote against Trump. If they vote for him, those treats and intimidation will continue, not just from Trump and his administration but from every Deplorable bold enough to act on his racism, bigotry, misogyny and prejudice. EVERYONE will be a target, not just the electors.
DeleteI'm thrilled that the press coverage of this is starting to heat up, and more people are demanding answers. I read that Obama ordered more investigations into this, with the final report needing to be due to him on his last day in office.
ReplyDeleteSuppose the report is quite damning, what could Obama do? Release the findings, definitely. But what else? Is there any way he could completely cripple Trump and Pence before they take office?
At any rate, I hope Trump and his cronies are starting to sweat. They deserve every bit of it. This could be worse than Watergate.
"This could be worse than Watergate."..Dahhhhh
DeleteMore like "The END of the WORLD as we kNOW it".
SO WHAT?
DeleteLast day in office? What the hell good will that do?
We need it on December 18th!
How many people who did work for Trump and never got paid or fully paid for their labor and materials only to hear well sue me and having to settle for less money than what was originally agreed to. I guess telling the common people take me to court is what the rich people call negotiating? Who has the time and money to find a lawyer or appear in court against highly paid lawyers?
ReplyDeleteNOT CBS>
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_(2015_film)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-typo_us_58505fe4e4b0e411bfd415e2
I think even Republican Congress people are getting tired of King Trump?
ReplyDeleteIf the Electoral College people are being threatened who's next or already been threatened? Judges, juries, police officers, politicians, generals, the intelligence community, climate change workers who appeared at conferences and the media who goes against President-elect Trump's way?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/2016/12/14/michael-moore-warns-electoral-college-that-its-too-dangerous-to-vote-for-trump/
ReplyDeleteCheck the list of electors. See anybody there with a security clearance to receive classified information? The information would have to be declassified for electors to receive it. In that case, it should be published for every citizen to read. The electors aren't some elite class of citizens entitled to more or different information from any other citizen. Neither are the Senators or members of the House, for that matter. Declassify it and let us all read it and judge for ourselves what happened.
ReplyDeleteNo electors will be receiving classified information. This is all a big dance being put on by the democrat electors. Nothing but show.
DeleteGeorge Zimmerman in the future:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vox.com/world/2016/12/14/13952000/philippines-rodrigo-duterte-personally-killed-war-drugs-crime
The ones making the demand are all Democrats, except for Suprun in Texas and he's already not voting for Trump.
ReplyDeleteEven if they send every elector a report, there is no guarantee they'll even read it, let alone change their vote. I'd like to see it released to the public as just more proof that the Republicans don't give a shit as long as they win.
if Trump's people are threatening the electors with political reprisal, then what will his "people" do when he is the POTUS? It is a warning how Trump thinks.... it will only get worse. Stop the monster while you still can. I fear for our future.
ReplyDeleteWhat will his Deplorable cabinet picks do in their respective departments? They're already compiling a blacklist of Climate Change scientists.
Delete