Influential supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have moved to halt the recounts of presidential votes in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Trump won each of the states by a relatively small margin.
Image: Reuters/M. Segar
Advertisement
Michigan's state attorney, Bill Schuette, on Friday filed a lawsuit aimed at preventing the scheduled presidential vote recount in his state.
He said that Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who requested the recount in the "Rust Belt" states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, won far too few votes to necessitate a recount.
"Michigan voters rejected Stein's candidacy by massive margins, but her refusal to accept that state-verified result poses an expensive and risky threat to hard-working taxpayers and abuses the intent of Michigan law," Schuette said in a statement. Stein won 1 percent of the vote.
The Trump campaign's own attorneys had already filed an objection with Michigan state officials on Thursday. "On the basis of nothing more than speculation, Stein asks that Michigan residents endure an expensive, time-consuming recount," the campaign's filing read.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, where the recount is already underway, voter Ronald R. Johnson and two pro-Trump political action committees - Great America PAC and Stop Hilary PAC - on Friday asked a federal judge to halt the recount in the state. In the court filing, they described the process as a "sham."
"There is no prospect that the recount will change the outcome of the election with result to Stein. At best, this is nothing more than a fundraising stunt for her," the filing read. It cited the US Supreme Court's Bush vs. Gore decision, which ended the 2000 election and a recount process in Florida, as legal precedent.
They contend that the recount is unconstitutional as it fails to satisfy equal protection requirements. Further, if the recount is not complete by December 13, the federal deadline to certify the vote, it risks putting Wisconsin's electoral votes in jeopardy.
Unless the court intervenes, the recount is scheduled to continue.
Trump and his supporters have filed a similar petition to block the recount effort in Pennsylvania, which he also won by a margin of less than 1 percent.
Stein undeterred
Despite the legal challenges, Stein plans to persist with recounts in the states. Her lead counsel Matthew Brinckerhoff said their push for a recount in Wisconsin and further afield would continue. "Citizens in Wisconsin and across the country have made it clear that they want a recount and deserve to see this process through to ensure integrity in the vote," he said.
Stein has raised a total $6.8 million to fund the recounts across the three states. She said that Republican Trump's slim victory in traditionally Democrat states made a renewed tally necessary. Trump bested Democrat Hillary Clinton by some 27,000 votes in Wisconsin, 10,700 votes in Michigan and 49,000 in Pennsylvania.
The Green Party has said it is seeking to ensure the integrity of the US voting system, and is not intent on changing the election result. "Verifying the vote through this recount is the only way to confirm that every vote has been counted securely and accurately and is not compromised by machine or human error, or by tampering or hacking," Stein said in a statement Thursday. "The recount does not benefit one candidate over another."
Clinton's lawyers have said they will partake in the Wisconsin recount effort. The former candidate's team will also do the same in Michigan and Pennsylvania if necessary, they said.
A court in Pennsylvania is scheduled to hear Stein's case for a state-wide recount there on Monday.
dm/gsw (Reuters, AP)
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/M. Lederhandler
Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
Image: imago/ZUMA Press
What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
Image: Getty Images/D. Angerer
"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/B.J. Harpaz
Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/
Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Swerzey
Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/J. Minchillo
Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Lemm
The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Schwalm
Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
Image: Getty Images/B. Pugliano
Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Lane
Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
