Judge rejects request by Washington state electors in anti-Trump effort

SEATTLE — A federal judge in Seattle on Wednesday rejected a request by two Washington state electors to pre-empt a state law that could fine them up to $1,000 each if they disregard the state's presidential popular vote.

Democratic electors Bret Chiafalo and Levi Guerra contend the law is unconstitutional, and that they should be able to cast their votes as they see fit when the Electoral College meets Monday.

But U.S. District Judge James Robart denied their request, noting they'd volunteered to become electors and signed pledges to honor the state's popular vote, which went to Hillary Clinton.

The ruling was another blow to the movement of socalled "Hamilton Electors" who have launched a late and longshot effort to block president-elect Donald Trump from the White House.

As Democratic electors, Chiafalo and Guerra were already assumed to be in Clinton's column — so they can't do anything to reduce Trump's Electoral College count. But they're trying to persuade Republican electors in other states to split from Trump and unite with them behind an as-yet-unidentified alternative GOP candidate.

A judge in Colorado this week rejected a similar lawsuit, calling it "a political stunt," according to The Denver Post.

Robart didn't go that far, but said there was no legal precedent supporting the electors' arguments, adding their claim that the state law violates their free-speech rights "lacks a significant chance of success on the merits."

Chiafalo and Guerra have said they hope to join with Republican electors in others states to deny Trump the 270 Electoral College votes needed to cement his election, which would throw the choice to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Attorneys for Washington state defended the state's law, joined in court by lawyers for Trump and the state Republican Party.