Trump Campaign Considering Challenging Colorado Delegates
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- Donald Trump's campaign says they are "of course" thinking about challenging the seating of the Colorado delegation at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland after several ballot irregularities and delegate number mix-ups at state meetings this weekend.
A senior Trump aide said in a text message the campaign is "documenting everything" on the ground in Colorado and considering trying to block the Colorado delegation from participating at the national convention, where the ultimate Republican nominee will be picked.
One alternate delegate's number from the Trump campaign's preferred slate was not on the scantron ballot -- instead another delegate's number was listed twice.
The Trump campaign also blames the Colorado Republican Party for several ballot numbers that did not match the correct names on the Trump preferred delegate slate.
However, Ted Cruz has swept all 21 of the delegates in the state so far and is poised to scoop up most, if not all, of the delegates at stake in Saturday's statewide meeting.
Correcting the errors would be unlikely to tip the scales in Trump's favor, as Cruz holds the lion's share of support among local party leaders in the room.
The Colorado Republican Party called the ballot irregularities "minor clerical errors," that happen often and pushed aside responsibility for the number inconsistencies on Trump's slate.
In most states, delegates are bound to candidates according to how voters at a primary or caucus cast their ballots. But in Colorado, local and state party leaders and volunteers choose their national delegate -- and often who they will support at the convention.
In addition, five names were listed on the ballot twice. None of the names were on any candidate's official slates, but two were bound to Cruz, one to Trump and two unpledged.
Several names were also added to the ballot late and were displayed on screens in the front of the arena.
If the Trump campaign were to contest the delegates, the challenge would go first to a standing RNC panel for disputes, then to the convention's credentialing committee and finally to the full GOP convention in July.
