Top Minnesota Republican: Unlikely party followed the law in selecting electors
A top official with the Republican Party of Minnesota said in an interview today that is likely that none of the Republican presidential electors or alternates from Minnesota were elected in compliance with Minnesota election law.
James Carson, who is the Chair of the Republican Party in Minnesota’s Fourth Congressional District, said that based on the wording of Minnesota Statutes 208.03, “it is likely none of the Republican electors were legally elected.”
While Carson said he strongly believes the Republican Party of Minnesota State Executive was authorized to select alternate presidential electors, his comments will only increase the possibility that a legal challenge will be filed to determine if Minnesota Republicans followed the law to get Donald Trump’s name on the ballot in Minnesota.
Carson was unaware of the exact wording of Minnesota Statutes 208.03, which requires presidential electors and alternates to be “nominated by delegate conventions” until I asked him if today in our interview if Republicans followed the law in how they selected their presidential electors and alternates.
A high-ranking Republican elected official from Minnesota on Saturday offered similar comments in response to questions about the process used by the Republican Party of Minnesota to ensure Trump’s name is on the ballot.
“It was bungled and botched. Their fix won’t work,” said the Republican elected official, who requested anonymity, as they have publicly endorsed Trump’s candidacy.
The comments came after the Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Keith Downey told the press last Thursday that the Republican Party of Minnesota “forgot to elect alternate electors” at the Republican Party of Minnesota’s State Convention in May:
State GOP Chairman Keith Downey told reporters at the State Fair that the party forgot to elect alternate electors, those people who actually pick a president in the country’s Electoral College process.
Legal Challenge to Trump Name on Ballot Expected
In an interview with FOX 9 last week, David Schultz, who is a professor at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota Law School said a lawsuit will likely be filed.
“It’s going to wind up in the courts if for no other reason than to create mischief for the Republican Party,” Schultz told Fox 9. “I think the Minnesota Supreme Court would probably err on the side of allowing the Republican Party and their electors, on the ballot.”
As I reported yesterday, the rumblings of possible legal challenges have only gotten stronger since last week and I would expect legal challenges within the coming days and weeks to determine if Minnesota Republicans followed the law to get Donald Trump’s name on the ballot in Minnesota.