Schuette on Michigan recount: State law needs to prevail

Attorney General reiterates Jill Stein is not an 'aggrieved party'

DETROIT – Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Tuesday morning his office has joined a federal lawsuit to stop a presidential election recount in Michigan to make sure the state's law prevails. 

Schuette reiterated Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein cannot be considered an "aggrieved party" in this election due to her relatively low vote total. His lawsuit to block the recount said the Michigan statute authorizing recounts requires the petitioning candidate -- Stein -- to demonstrate that she was “aggrieved” by fraud or mistake.

But the recount got underway Monday after a U.S. District approved Stein's request for a temporary restraining order to accelerate the effort. That was after Stein filed a federal lawsuit Friday to try to force Michigan to conduct a recount. The move came hours after President-elect Donald Trump filed a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to intervene and stop Stein's request for a recount, and after Schuette's own lawsuit was announced.

STORY: AG Schuette files lawsuit to stop recount of Michigan's presidential election results

Now the attorney general is taking it to the federal level. 

"Michigan law needs to prevail here," said Schuette. "This federal takeover is absolutely wrong, and it's unjust. Michigan is very clear and we have a very transparent statute. I understand recounts, I've been through one. In Michigan you have to be an injured party, an aggrieved party. Jill Stein received 1 percent of the 4.8 million votes that were cast on Nov. 8. She waited 3 and a half weeks to even file an objection."

Schuette said in order for Stein to be considered an "aggrieved party" under the law she would have had to have lost by far less votes. 

"If Jill Stein had lost by 20 votes, or 200 votes, or 2,000 votes, then that would be an example of an aggrieved or injured party," he said. "But Jill Stein, in the recount, would have to find 2 million votes, which is preposterous. It's never gonna happen."

Stein's party admitted they are not expecting to overturn the election results with a recount.

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