Posted on 11/29/2016 6:49:51 PM PST by drewh
MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – A Dane County judge has knocked down Jill Stein’s request to conduct Wisconsin’s recount exclusively by hand to rule out any electronic tampering with the results.
Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn said Stein’s experts couldn’t present “clear and convincing evidence” that Wisconsin voting equipment was compromised, only that it was possible.
“A hand recount is the gold standard, it’s the best we can do. I don’t think there’s any dispute to that,” the judge said, and she noted there’s no difference in cost to taxpayers since the campaign pays for it. “However, it’s not the court’s decision to decide the best way… I have to do what the law tells me to do.”
The ruling came four hours after the hearing began, and after the judge took a brief recess around 8 p.m.
Stein says there were “statistical anomalies” in results where voters used electronic voting machines. Attorneys for her campaign called several witnesses to support their claim that hackers might have launched a cyber attack or planted malicious software that changed the outcome of the race.
A University of Michigan professor who’s an expert on cyber security testified that it’s possible and that the Wisconsin Elections Commission doesn’t have enough protocols in place to prevent hacking.
The elections commission has said there’s no evidence of hacking or voter fraud, and that a hand recount would take a long time and a lot of people to do it.
“I will allow the 19 counties to do the recount the way they intended. I think everyone strongly encourages them to do the recount by hand, but it is there decision,” Bailey-Rihn said.
Stein’s Green Party wired the state nearly $3.5 million Tuesday afternoon before the 4:30 p.m. deadline to begin the Wisconsin recount.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) denied her request for a hand count, saying state law gives clerks the power to decide how to recount the ballots — especially in light of the number of votes that need to be counted before the federal deadline of December 13. Stein’s campaign responded with a civil lawsuit to seek a court order.
Tuesday afternoon the WEC confirmed it made a calculation error when it added up the estimates from county clerks on how much the recount would cost in their county. The elections commission should have quoted $3.9 million — it was off by $400,000.
The WEC says regardless of its mistake, Stein will have to pay whatever the total cost is. For now the campaign was only required to pay the $3.5 million that was quoted.
If the actually cost comes in higher, her campaign will have to pay the difference; if the cost comes in lower, the campaign will be refunded the difference.
Until the counties have actual costs, not estimates, the state will hold all of the money. That’s causing some concern for Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg, who says the county will likely spend $30,000 on the recount.
While state statute says the county will be reimbursed, there’s no timeline for the county to get its money.
“My election canvassers and board of canvass will expect payment, of course, and I’m expecting that money will be spent out before it’s coming back in,” Freiberg said.
“It’s laid out in statutes. I don’t know the exact timeline when it will happen, but they’ll have to actually submit costs to us and we will pay them as soon as we can,” the WEC’s Reid Magney said.
That means the money will come out of the county’s budget, which is paid for by taxpayers, until the reimbursement is received.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Mark Morgan issued a statement Tuesday night on the recount:
Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Mark Morgan released the following statement:
This recount is nothing more than one final, desperate attempt by Wisconsin Democrats to change the outcome of the election. There is no justification for a recount and this is precisely the kind of underhanded political tactics that the voters of Wisconsin rejected on November 8th. While Hillary Clinton and her liberal allies are focused on undoing the will of the voters, we remain committed to protecting the integrity of the election process here in Wisconsin.” The Green Party was also raising money for recounts in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
A hearing is scheduled in Pennsylvania on December 5 on Stein’s request for a court order to force a recount.
Good. Stupid broad is smoking too much weed.
Whaaaah!
Trump was wrong.
I’m still not tired of winning.
Yes!
So is this the end of the recount nonsense?
I love winning!!!!!
Pity as president elect Trump cannot speak his mind on what he thinks of her.
This should be in “Breaking News.”
Soros just wants to stall long enough that the election is forced to be decided by Congress instead of the electoral college, then for the next four years his minions can claim that Trump stole the election.
I still have my Sore/Loserman sign from 2000. I was on the ground in Broward County shouting down the illegal recount. Thanks for the memories!
“I will allow the 19 counties to do the recount the way they intended. I think everyone strongly encourages them to do the recount by hand, but it is there decision,” Bailey-Rihn said.
So if they want to they can I am sure some counties will.
Best. Election. Ever.
Watch her appeal this decision to SCOTUS.
Trump was wrong.
I’m still not tired of winning.
...
He’s not even president yet, but I know what you mean.
4-4 returns to judgment of lower court
Most likely goes to WI Supreme Court and loses too 4-3 or 5-2.
I think this gets a quick recount and is over in a week with -/+10 votes swing.
Sounds like this lower court set up an argument for appeal? As it stands, machine tabulation, but they’re pushing for a slow hand count, going to turn WI red for decades if the Dems get their way (deny WI electors)—they’re that stupid.
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