ELECTORS SEEK INTELLIGENCE BRIEFINGS
Ten electors, before casting votes in the Electoral College, are requesting information about Russia’s ties to Donald Trump.
One of Colorado’s nine electors is requesting a national intelligence briefing regarding the Russian government’s ties to Donald Trump before casting his vote in the Electoral College.
Micheal Baca, a Democratic elector seeking to block Trump from winning the presidency, and nine other electors of the 538member Electoral College signed an open letter Monday to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
“The electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations,” according to the letter, which was posted online. “We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as president of the United States.”
The letter follows the disclosure of a CIA report Friday that concluded with “high confidence” that the Russian government influenced the election to help Trump win. Trump dismissed the report Sunday, calling it “ridiculous.”
“Trump’s willingness to disregard conclusions made by the intelligence community and his continuing defense of Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin demand close scrutiny and deliberation from the Electoral College,” the letter states.
The electors who signed the letter also asked Trump to provide evidence that he and his advisers “did not accept Russian interference” and repudiate the actions.
In an interview, Baca declined to comment Monday about the letter but confirmed he signed it.
The signers represent six states and the District of Columbia. Only one is a Republican.
The electors are scheduled to meet Monday to cast formal Electoral College votes from the states. Colorado’s nine electoral votes will go to Democrat Hillary Clinton — although Baca and others are open to trading those votes for a consensus alternative candidate to Trump. At least 37 Republican electors pledged to support Trump in other states would need to defect to force the question to the U.S. House of Representatives.