Hillary Clinton’s former presidential campaign chairman said Monday he supports a demand from presidential electors that they receive a secure intelligence briefing on how Russia may have helped President-elect Trump win the White House, before next week’s Electoral College vote next week.
“The bipartisan electors’ letter raises very grave issues involving our national security,” John Podesta said in a statement Monday, according to Politico. “Electors have a solemn responsibility under the Constitution and we support their efforts to have their questions addressed.”
Hours earlier, the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter, alongside nine other electors, in which she called on Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to grant electors a briefing on alleged Russian interference on behalf of President-elect Trump’s campaign.
“Each day that month, our campaign decried the interference of Russia in our campaign and its evident goal of hurting our campaign to aid Donald Trump,” Podesta said. “Despite our protestations, this matter did not receive the attention it deserved by the media in the campaign. We now know that the CIA has determined Russia’s interference in our elections was for the purpose of electing Donald Trump. This should distress every America.”
In their letter, the 10 Electoral College members insisted that they receive a briefing ahead of next Monday’s meeting about any possible investigations into Russia, and any evidence those investigations have turned up.
“The Electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations,” the group of nine Democrats and one Republican wrote.
“We further require a briefing on all investigative findings, as these matters directly impact the core factors in our deliberations of whether Mr. Trump is fit to serve as President of the United States,” they added.
The group said they would like Trump himself to provide “conclusive evidence” that his campaign did not coordinate with the Russians during the election.
In addition to Pelosi’s daughter, the group also features one incoming member of Congress â Carol Shea-Porter, a former congresswoman who recently won her seat back to the lower chamber.
The group did not say whether it plans to join efforts to deny Trump the presidency through the Electoral College. But it was released a day after Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., called on the Electoral College to stop Trump and deny him the White House.
Members of the Electoral College are slated to meet in their respective states on Dec. 19 and officially elect Trump president. Those opposing Trump are trying to push 37 Republicans to vote against him in the Electoral College vote, which would throw the election to the House of Representatives.
Al Weaver contributed to this report.
