'Faithless' Clinton Elector in Colorado May Face Criminal Charges

[DonViejo]

Source: LawNewz

by Chris White | 3:21 pm, December 21st, 2016

The Colorado Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday referred Electoral College “faithless elector” Micheal Baca to the state Attorney General, requesting an investigation to be opened into whether possible criminal charges are appropriate.

In a statement obtained by LawNewz.com, Deputy Secretary of State Suzanne Staiert said Mr. Baca took an oath to vote for the presidential candidate who won the popular vote in Colorado, only to then “cast a ballot contrary to the oath.”

In her letter to the Colorado AG’s Office, Staiert called Baca’s actions a violation of C.R.S. 1-4-305(5), which provides:

Each presidential elector shall vote for the presidential candidate and, by separate ballot, vice-presidential candidate who received the highest number of votes at the preceding general election in this state.

Read more: http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/faithless-clinton-elector-in-colorado-may-face-criminal-charges/

[aggiesal]

1. I understand that states have their electors ...

But what's the sense in having "learned electors" if their hands
are tied to what the state government wants by making them take an oath?

They should just get rid of the EC once and for all.

[cstanleytech]

4. Granted the EC failed the country by electing Trump I think there might be better solutions like

untying their hands for electing the President and changing it so that the person with the highest number of votes that doesnt win the EC wins the VP slot.
Ya the automatic reaction to that is "Oh no we cant have someone from the other party as VP" but my response is that no, we can and maybe it would force the Republicans in this case to actually be more willing to compromise rather than be the party of NO in the future?

[PoliticAverse]

2. I hope the issue makes it to the US Supreme Court to be settled definitively. n/t

[ancianita]

3. One can hope. Colorado's got some feisty citizens, and hopefully, lawyers. nt

[YOHABLO]

5. A better solution would be to do away with the electoral college all together. One person, one vote.

[HassleCat]

6. To what end?

If the statute does not specify a penalty, it might turn out to be pointless.

[yagotme]

7. "Do what I say,

or I'll get really really mad."