Protesters Gather In Last-Ditch Effort To Prevent Trump From Taking Office
DENVER (CBS4)- Protesters stood in the cold outside the state Capitol Sunday night in a last ditch effort to convince electors to take steps to prevent Donald Trump from taking the Presidency.
A small crowd gathered in the cold with a message to the nine Colorado Democratic electors: use your vote wisely.
With a Statue of Liberty crown on her head, Emily Mitcham told CBS4's Rick Sallinger, "I hope they don't vote for trump, I hope they come together and find another Republican, it think that's fair."
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won Colorado. But some electors went to courts asking to be allowed to cast their vote differently as part of an effort to stop Donald Trump from taking office. The judges said, "No."
Elector Polly Baca, a Democratic stalwart, says she may defy the judge's order.
"It's a possibility I could get fine of $1,000 or be put in jail. I doubt that will happen, but I will be willing to take that risk for my country," said Baca.
She says the constitution forbids someone from taking office who is under the influence of a foreign power.
"I feel if could see Trump's taxes we would know if he is receiving benefits from a foreign power," Baca said regarding Trump's businesses.
To prevent Trump from prevailing, 38 votes would have to go to someone else.
One Republican elector Chris Suprun of Texas has already said he will not cast his vote for Trump, "I think this is the first time in America's history where we have someone who is clearly unfit for office."
But Trump won the election fairly according to the Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus.
"It's about Democrats that can't accept the outcome of the election," he said on Fox News Sunday.
Colorado's nine electors will meet at high noon at the state Capitol to cast their ballots. All nine are Democrats since Clinton won the state.
CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.
