Judge denies Allen West recount request (POLITICO)
By ALEX ISENSTADT and MIKE ZAPLER |
11/16/12 3:40 PM EST
A judge on Friday denied Rep. Allen West's request for a recount of more than 30,000 early votes — a blow to the Florida Republican's bid to overcome a 1,907-vote, or 0.58 percent, deficit in his race against Democrat Patrick Murphy.
Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn said he lacked the authority to order the recount, and the decision now heads to the canvassing board for St. Lucie County, which is set to meet at 4 p.m. Friday.
West's campaign has vowed a fierce legal fight if the canvassing board also turns down his request. Murphy's team is likewise girding for battle.
The Palm Beach Post has more on the court hearing:
"Murphy attorney Gerald Richman said in court today that if the canvassing board orders a full recount of early votes this afternoon, the Murphy campaign will go to court to try to block it.
The canvassing board last Saturday announced a full recount of early votes after some were double-counted and others were ignored on election night. But on Sunday, the board reversed course and decided to only recount 16,275 ballots from three of the eight days of early voting.
That recount resulted in 799 early votes vanishing from the West-Murphy race. West argued the irregularities that came to light in the partial recount merited a full recount.
West’s attorneys also asked for a recount of approximately 37,000 absentee ballots, but Vaughn did not render a decision on that petition."
Will this guy ever give up?
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