Stein Campaign Lawyer: Allegations Of Illegal Recount Coordination ‘Laughable’

The Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint Wednesday with the Federal Elections Commission alleging illegal coordination between the Jill Stein and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns leading up to Wisconsin’s presidential recount.

“It is concerning that the Stein campaign would position itself to front and fund a recount attempt that only serves the interests of a desperate and defeated Clinton campaign,” the complaint reads. “The synchronized efforts and questionable benefit to the Stein campaign raises a severe specter of illegal coordination between the Hillary for American campaign and the Stein for President campaign.”

Earlier this week, the Clinton campaign filed a motion to intervene in Stein’s lawsuit calling for a hand recount in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Lawyers representing the Clinton campaign appeared at Tuesday night’s court hearing in Dane County to argue in favor of the hand recount.

Clinton also sent an email Monday to supporters in Wisconsin, seeking volunteers to participate in recount efforts. Representatives from the campaigns of any candidate on the ballot, including Clinton, may be present to monitor recount efforts as they take place, according to the state Elections Commission.

“All of this comes together in really what is obviously a coordinated effort by the Clinton campaign to circumvent both campaign finance law in terms of who is paying for this recount; and, I think, more importantly, circumventing transparency and circumventing the public trust,” said Mark Morgan, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Stein’s campaign denied any coordination with the Clinton campaign in a statement released Wednesday.

“The recount effort is nonpartisan and Stein is not coordinating with any other campaign,” said Stein campaign manager David Cobb. “Any allegations to the contrary are fabrications. The FEC complaint is nothing but a PR stunt to push a false narrative that will ultimately have no impact on the recount in Wisconsin.”

Matt Brinckerhoff, lawyer for the Stein campaign, called the allegations of coordination “laughable.”

“There is no evidence nor will there be any evidence uncovered that will support that because it’s absolutely, patently false,” Brinckerhoff said.

The Stein campaign submitted the required $3.5 million payment for the Wisconsin recount Tuesday; it is scheduled to begin Thursday.