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U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith
Update, 11:45 a.m. Thursday: Michigan’s Board of State Canvassers canceled plans Thursday for vote on ending a statewide recount of the presidential election after a federal judge effectively halted the effort Wednesday night, The Detroit News reports. No further action is needed, board members feel.
Original article, Wednesday night:
Detroit U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith, who gave the green light earlier this week for a presidential recount in Michigan to begin, ruled Wednesday that it should end, concluding there's no real evidence of foul play and there's no valid reason to continue the recount, the Detroit Free Press reports.
Green Party presidential candidate, who triggered the recount, vowed to fight the ruling.
Goldsmith's eight-page opinion said "there is no basis" for him to ignore a state court ruling that said the recount should never had started.The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Green Party Candidate Jill Stein, who requested the recount, had no shot of winning as a result of a recount, and therefore was not an aggrieved candidate, Tresa Baldas, Kathleen Gray and Frank Witsil of the Freep report.
The Freep went on to report:
Goldsmith's ruling also bolstered some arguments that were repeatedly made by the Michigan Republican Party: that there was never any evidence that hacking or fraud occurred at the polls, and that Michigan's voting system is so secure that not even the "Gremlins, Martians or Russian hackers" could tamper with it. That argument appeared to carry some weight with the judge.
"To date, plaintiffs have not presented evidence of tampering or mistake. Instead, they present speculative claims going to the vulnerability of the voting machinery — but not actual injury," Goldsmith wrote, adding the potential for fraud is not enough to continue to allow the recount to proceed.
Stein's lawyers vowed to continue the fight. They already filed an appeal before the state Supreme Court. They could also appeal Goldsmith's ruling before the U.S. Court of Appeals.
