From the beginning, Jill Stein’s recount effort in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin was a complete scam. Donald Trump won those states by more than enough votes to feel confident in the outcome. Not only that, the theory that there could have possibly been interference from Russian hackers in the process has been thoroughly debunked.
None of these facts mattered to Jill Stein, who initiated the recount process anyway. Never mind the fact that Stein didn’t come close enough to victory to even be in a position to call for recount; her crusade was about insuring the “integrity” of U.S. elections.
Of course, that wasn’t really Stein’s motive. What she really wanted was to raise money for herself, $12 million price tag to the taxypayers be damned. Unfortunately for the Green Party candidate, she may soon have to kiss a lot of that green goodbye.
The Michigan legislature is currently working on a bill that would change recount laws, and that’s bad news for Stein. From the Conservative Review:
Jill Stein, of course, does not expect to change the results of the election. She launched her laughable recount effort in a vainglorious attempt to raise money. As Conservative Review’s Rob Eno explained: “Stein did this to increase her donor file. Many politicians ‘buy’ their donor files from their campaigns. It is a valuable source of income for the candidate. In a report on Ben Carson’s donor list an expert told NBC News that each email address of an active donor is worth $5-$6 on the open rental market over a three year period. Stein is looking to cash in.”
Should Lisa Lyons’ bill pass in Michigan, it would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2016, forcing Jill Stein to pay for her own demands. It would justifiably save the state’s taxpayers millions, and stick it to the Green Party con artist. However, this isn’t the first dose of reality dished out to Stein this week. Trump has actually been gaining a small number of votes in the Wisconsin recount, and yesterday a federal judge put a halt to the recount procedure in Michigan. Sticking Stein with the bill she tried to stick to the taxpayers of Michigan would be a final piece of poetic justice.It’s hard to have sympathy for someone who pulled a publicity stunt to enrich herself at the expense of others. However, maybe Stein will learn a valuable lesson from the entire ordeal. When you play silly games you win silly prizes.
[Note: This post was authored by Michael Lee. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee]