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Green Party's Jill Stein moves Pennsylvania recount bid to federal courts

By Allen Cone
Jill Stein's Green Party campaign announced late Saturday that it would seek an emergency federal court order Monday for a recount rather than pursuing the process in the state courts. Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore
Jill Stein's Green Party campaign announced late Saturday that it would seek an emergency federal court order Monday for a recount rather than pursuing the process in the state courts. Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein moved her bid for a recount in Pennsylvania from the state courts to the federal courts.

Hours after dropping its case at the state level, the campaign said late Saturday it will pursue efforts in federal courts to contest the Nov. 8 election in Pennsylvania.

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"We are committed to this fight to protect the civil and voting rights of all Americans," Jonathan Abady, lead counsel for the recount campaign, said in a statement. "Over the past several days, it has become clear that the barriers to verifying the vote in Pennsylvania are so pervasive and that the state court system is so ill-equipped to address this problem that we must seek federal court intervention."

The recount campaign noted financial difficulties in deciding to withdraw the case. A $1 million bond was ordered by the court by Monday.

Instead, the campaign will demand a recount on constitutional grounds.

"On Monday, I will escalate #Recount2016 in PA and file to demand a statewide recount on constitutional grounds. The people deserve answers," Stein posted on Twitter.

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Stein announced Sunday morning that she plans to hold a rally Monday morning outside Trump Tower in New York.

Stein tweeted: "The judge's outrageous demand PA voters pay such an exorbitant figure is a shameful, unacceptable barrier to democratic participation."

Stein and her supporters raised more than $6.9 million for recounts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

President-elect Donald Trump has 2,955,671 votes for a 49,543-vote lead over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who earned 2,906,128 votes, in Pennsylvania, according to the Department of State. Stein received 49,678 votes or just 0.82 percent.

The Wisconsin recount began Thursday, while a potential recount could begin in Michigan this week.

In Wisconsin, Trump, who earned 1,404,000 votes in the state, leads by 22,177 votes over Clinton, who earned 1,381,823, and Stein, who had 31,006, or 1.04 percent, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

In Michigan, the recount will proceed after the Board of State Canvassers deadlocked, 2-2, on the Republican's objections to Stein's request for a recount -- meaning the recount will occur.

But a hearing is scheduled for Sunday in U.S. District Court in Detroit to decide when the recount can begin.

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In the state, Trump, who gathered 2,279,543 votes, led Clinton, who earned 2,268,839, by 10,704 votes. Stein had 51,463 votes, or 1.1 percent, according to the Michigan State Board of Canvassers.

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