At least ten members of the electoral college have sent an open letter to the director of the National Intelligence Agency, demanding more information on the relationship between President-elect Donald Trump and Russia. The demand came on the same day the White House spokesman Josh Earnest noted comments made by the Trump during the campaign in which he encouraged Russia to hack Hillary Clinton.
Kim Lampkins has more …
The letter reads in part:
Open Letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper:
We are Electors who were selected by the voters of our states to represent them in the Electoral College on December 19, 2016. We intend to discharge our duties as Electors by ensuring that we select a candidate for president who, as our Founding Fathers envisioned, would be “endowed with the requisite qualifications.” As Electors, we also believe that deliberation is at the heart of democracy itself, not an empty or formalistic task. We do not understand our sole function to be to convene in mid-December, several weeks after Election Day, and summarily cast our votes. To the contrary, the Constitution envisions the Electoral College as a deliberative body that plays a critical role in our system of government — ensuring that the American people elect a president who is constitutionally qualified and fit to serve. Accordingly, to fulfill our role as Electors, we seek an informed and unrestrained opportunity to fulfill our constitutional role leading up to December 19th — that is, the ability to investigate, discuss, and deliberate with our colleagues about whom to vote for in the Electoral College.
Read the entire letter here.
GOP Keeps Close Tabs On Electoral College Vote
Meantime, the Hillary Clinton campaign has expressed support for an intelligence briefing for electors before they officially finalize Trump’s victory next week.
Clinton’s top adviser John Podesta released a statement Monday:
“The bipartisan electors’ letter raises very grave issues involving our national security. Electors have a solemn responsibility under the Constitution and we support their efforts to have their questions addressed.”
“Each day that month, our campaign decried the interference of Russia in our campaign and its evident goal of hurting our campaign to aid Donald Trump,” he said. “Despite our protestations, this matter did not receive the attention it deserved by the media in the campaign. We now know that the CIA has determined Russia’s interference in our elections was for the purpose of electing Donald Trump. This should distress every American.”
Posdesta’s statment in full, via Twitter:
Serious questions about Russia's involvement in the US election deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/3OV5Q5TO3R
— John Podesta (@johnpodesta) December 12, 2016
Source: (AURN)
