When Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton to become the new president-elect, many wondered how it actually happened. Despite Trump being less than three weeks away from his inauguration, a new report claims that up to a third of his electoral votes were cast illegitimately.
Trump trouble
On Election Day this past November, the consensus was that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would walk away the big winner and become the first female president in United States history. By the end of the night, Donald Trump had shocked the world, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in political history.
The final electoral college vote gave Trump 304 votes, well over the required 270 needed for victory. While Trump has celebrated the win, a new report exposes that many of his votes might not be legal. As reported by Alternet, and later Raw Story on January 4, as many as 100 electoral votes that were made for Trump have now come into question.
Bombshell report claims at least 50 Trump electors are illegitimate — and should not have voted https://t.co/WAfjJwjBOB pic.twitter.com/epAL7ATXsL
— Raw Story (@RawStory) January 5, 2017
As part of an exhausting legal briefing of over 1,000 pages, known as the Electoral Vote Objection Packet, which was put together by a "bipartisan nationwide legal team," at least 50, and as many as 100, electoral votes that were made to Donald Trump might not have been done in accordance of the law.
"We have reason to believe that there are at least 50 electoral votes that were not regularly given or not lawfully certified," the report reads. In a letter to Congress, the legal team also notes "the number could be over a hundred." The letter also urges members of Congress to push back before a joint session on Friday that is set to ratify the presidential electoral college vote.
Will certification of Electoral College results be challenged? Probably not. But significant attempts underway: https://t.co/lkOVSNTjGM
— progressivephd (@callout4) January 5, 2017
The report explains that "at least 16 electors lived outside the congressional districts they represented in violation of state statutory residency requirement," while also noting that "34 electors held dual offices, in direct violation of statutes prohibiting dual-office holding." The alleged violations occurred in various states, including Arkansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Indiana, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.
The high-profiled electoral to be accused of voting illegally is Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was often seen campaigning for Trump in the Sunshine State.
Next up
The legal team, which describes themselves as "no-partisan," was put together as a "national team of roughly 15 pro bono attorneys, law students, and legal assistants who represent no client or entity." While it's unknown if the report will change the mind of any members of Congress, it's yet another added controversy to Donald Trump and his administration that has come under fire on a daily basis. The president-elect is set to be sworn in on January 20 in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day.
