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Federal judge halts Michigan recount

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jill Stein, the presidential Green Party candidate, spearheading recount efforts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

DETROIT >> A federal judge who ordered Michigan to begin its recount effectively ended it on today, tying his decision to a state court ruling that found Green Party candidate Jill Stein had no legal standing to request another look at ballots.

The ruling seals Republican Donald Trump’s narrow electoral victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith agreed with Republicans who argued that the three-day recount must end a day after the state appeals court dealt a blow to the effort. Stein, who finished fourth in Michigan on Nov. 8, didn’t have a chance of winning even after a recount and therefore isn’t an “aggrieved” candidate, the appeals court said.

“Because there is no basis for this court to ignore the Michigan court’s ruling and make an independent judgment regarding what the Michigan Legislature intended by the term ‘aggrieved,’ plaintiffs have not shown an entitlement to a recount,” Goldsmith said of Stein and allies.

It was Goldsmith’s midnight ruling Monday that started the recount in Michigan. But his order dealt with timing — not whether a recount was appropriate. More than 20 counties so far are recounting ballots, and some are finished.

Earlier today, the Michigan elections board said the recount would end if Goldsmith extinguished his earlier order.

Stein got about 1 percent of the vote in three states where she’s pushed for recounts — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump narrowly won all three.

Stein insists she’s more concerned about the accuracy of the election. She alleges, without evidence, that the elections may have been susceptible to hacking.

“They present speculative claims going to the vulnerability of the voting machinery — but not actual injury,” Goldsmith said.

A court hearing will be held Friday on a possible recount in Pennsylvania. Wisconsin’s recount, which started last week, has increased Trump’s margin of victory over Clinton thus far.

Clinton needed all three states to flip in order to take enough electoral votes to win the election. Trump has 306 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232; 270 are needed to win. Michigan has 16 electoral votes, Pennsylvania has 20 and Wisconsin has 10. Electors convene Dec. 19 across the country to vote for president.

19 responses to “Federal judge halts Michigan recount”

  1. Donna2415 says:

    Sanity prevails for a change.

  2. lespark says:

    Klastri, why aren’t you in Michigan counting votes?

    • dragoninwater says:

      Klastri is probably busy mixing kool-aid with Ethylene glycol (antifreeze coolant) so she and her minions will stay warm when they show up for HitLIARy’s inauguration party this winter. I hear she spent a fortune on the entire non-refundable trip. I guess the Kool-aid with Ethylene glycol will wipe her debts away soon 😉

    • Allaha says:

      Klastri would qualify: He is an “aggrieved” party. Ha Ha Ha. Conceited twits do qualify.

  3. bombay2101 says:

    Of COURSE she has no standing.
    Hillary does, but she hides behind Stein.

  4. wiliki says:

    If the voting has been rigged, than there should be a recount.

    • d_bullfighter says:

      There was never any evidence to begin with so just a desperate attempt to grasp at straws.

    • sarge22 says:

      Michigan vote was rigged alright…nearly half of over half of Hillary Clinton’s Detroit votes face disqualification because recount officials have found that the machine vote counts are not matching sealed counts i
      I need a license to go wading into my local stream to cast a fly, a permit to cut a tree off of MY property, I need an inspector to come and sign off on my basement remodel and electrical upgrade, I need to buy a game tag from Fish and Game to harvest a deer BUT I don’t need a Voter ID Card to cast my vote for my selection on which candidates I want running my country, state, and local governments (that seems more important than catching a fish imho)…The illegals are trying to take over ~ Why…?…So they can continue to be on the government dole receiving handout after handout from subsidized (and many times free housing) to a load of cash deposited on their EBT card every month…Generations of these welfare cheats have bilked billions if not trillions out of our system…Fist Step ~ Voter ID OR you’re not allowed to vote!…Second step ~ Means testing for all welfare recipients…Third step ~ Jail anyone and everyone that is complicit in setting up sanctuary cities and failing to enforce the laws of the land…PERIOD!…Trump’s first step (hopefully) ~ Build the WALL…

    • peanutgallery says:

      We all know there were attemps to rig the voting. Your side was exposed several times via wikileaks. Fortunately, you weren’t able to steal enough votes to match the onslaught of Trump support. You got buried.

  5. Keonigohan says:

    Is Crooked Corrupt Nasty hiLIARy going to CONCEDE again…& APOLOGIZE?

  6. lava says:

    Why wouldn’t an audit of the voting process be the right thing to do without having some legal standing or being personally hurt by the process? Besides, where would the evidence of something wrong come from – without an audit?

  7. AhiPoke says:

    Finally a good decision, especially since most everyone, including democrats agreed, that this was highly unlikely to change the outcome of the past election. For Jill Stein this was always a publicity and fundraising stunt to tap into the pockets of the anti-Trump people. Move on people the election is over.

  8. saveparadise says:

    People like Jill Stein love the spotlight. It’s all about the cameras and the spotlight.

  9. NahokuIIwebguy says:

    I’m laughing at ALL the idiots that gave this clown money….unreal. How that go? “A Fool & His Money are……” HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

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