Posted on 12/13/2016 6:10:27 PM PST by drewh
DENVER – The two Colorado electors who saw their attempts to get a state law that requires them to vote for the winner of the state’s popular vote for president dashed by a federal judge Monday filed an appeal Tuesday in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Monday, U.S. District Court of Colorado Judge Wiley Daniel denied Polly Baca and Robert Nemanich’s motion for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the state law that now requires they vote for Hillary Clinton, since she won Colorado’s popular vote.
Nemanich is an elector from Colorado Springs and Baca is a former state senator and elector from Denver.
The two “Hamilton Electors” filed the motion last week as part of a nationwide push by some of the 538 members of the Electoral College to try and elect someone other than Donald Trump to the presidency when they all vote Dec. 19.
The two are among nine electors chosen and authorized by the Democratic Party at the national convention in April and have already signed sworn affidavits they would vote for the Democratic candidates for president should they win in Colorado.
But Judge Wiley sharply rebuked their attempts Monday in court, saying granting the motion “would undermine” the electoral process, and calling their motions a “political stunt.” He said they should seek change through the state Legislature if they are unhappy with the laws and process.
Both Baca and Nemanich say they cannot “in good faith” vote for Clinton as state law requires, nor could they vote for Donald Trump had he won the state because the nine Republican electors chosen at the RNC would be casting their votes at the governor's office next Monday.
Their lawyer said Monday after the motion was denied that both were willing to face the consequences of not voting for Clinton should they be sworn in Dec. 19. They are subject to fines of up to $1,000 and could face jail time should they take the elector pledge and not adhere to state law.
They could also decide not to take the oath and would be replaced.
A spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s Office says the Tenth Circuit does not have to take up the appeal before next Monday’s elector ceremony.
The appeal has yet to be put on the court’s docket.
Micheal Baca, another of Colorado’s electors, had threatened to become a “Hamilton Elector” and join the suit. But instead, he on Monday joined a push by other electors across the country to be briefed by the intelligence community on purported hacks allegedly carried out by Russians with ties to the Kremlin before they cast their Electoral College vote on Dec. 19.
Tuesday, he told Colorado Public Radio he would vote for a non-Trump Republican instead of Clinton, which is also against state law.
Follow Colorado Matters @ColoradoMatters Hamilton Elector Micheal Baca: “I will be voting for a Republican” for president. Not Trump. Commits to not following state pop vote 11:16 AM - 13 Dec 2016 1 1 Retweet 1 1 like DENVER DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SAYS ELECTORS COULD FACE PROSECUTION
A Denver District Court judge on Tuesday afternoon heard arguments from both sides in order to determine the legal ramifications the electors could face in Colorado should they not follow state law.
Judge Elizabeth A. Starrs ruled that if Baca or Nemanich – or any elector, for that matter – does not take the oath to adhere to their duties or fails to follow state law and vote for Clinton that they will be removed and replaced, and could be prosecuted.
Their attorney said he is evaluating whether or not to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. Both Nemanich and Baca said they were still evaluating their votes pending the Tenth Circuit appeal and a possible Supreme Court appeal.
Secretary of State Wayne Williams told Denver7 the ruling “means the people are supreme in Colorado.”
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Seriously, by now anyone who isn't a raving lib loonie can see the desperation. Unfortunately all they have to do is find some federal judge who is exactly that.
Frankly I expect another lawsuit from greenie jill about 11:59PM on Dec 18 seeking an injunction to stop the electoral college from doing their duty.
The Twelfth Amendment limits Congress to voting for the top three Electoral College vote-getters. Currently, there are only two. If they can get a third person into the mix, even if with only a handful of votes, they still qualify as the third person. They want that third person to be a consensus candidate.
Then they hope to coerce Congress into voting for the third person.
-PJ
“I wonder who’s paying for all of this?”
The Clinton Foundation and Soros have plenty of money.
The demonic Left totally unmasked.
...A District Court judge rarely gets reversed on appeal....
But, this is the far left 10th Circuit.
These seditionists need crushed. Hopefully they will be arrested...tried...and if found guilty, breaking rocks. What losers and LIB lunatics. No quarter.
Won’t it be nice when Jeff Sessions brings law and order back to America?
They want to vote for Kasich. If they can get enough Electors to do this in other states, they can deny Trump the 270 votes.
They’re certified as the Electors, yes. They are wanting it declared ‘unconstitutional’ for them to have to vote the way their state voted.
Stupid
Correct me if I’m wrong, but these democrat electors wanting to do this all appear to be from western/southwest states so far (WA, CA, CO)...they “claim” they want and would go for someone like a Kasich or Romney, but seems to me it’s actually a ploy to try to trick enough gop electors into going along with it to bring Trump’s electoral votes below Hillary’s, because what guarantee is there they would actually vote for another-Republican-not-Trump when it comes their time to vote?
Had these democrat electors been located in the Northeast/Eastern seaboard states which went abundantly for Hillary doing this and are the 1st ones in the nation to cast their electoral votes, it would appear a bit less sinister. But that they are in states which’ll cast their votes later indicates to me they wouldn’t hold their end of the bargain and vote for a “compromise” if this were to work and enough republicans abandoned Trump.
Wow, so they want to vote Trump even though Hill soon Colorado? Impressive! Libs aren’t very bright.
Per another comment on a similar post - they want to set a precedent so electors in other States might ride their coattails. They probably think they're being clever by doing it in a Hillary State....
“Should the Electoral College be abolished?
Yes, direct democracy is the only fair way to hold elections
No, it preserves the vital concept of Federalism.”
. . . and the results are only 56% in favor of Federalism.
Good God.
The schools and colleges have done their work well.
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