Mr. Trump and his Virginia and national delegates won a huge victory today.
The Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond) ruled what the Virginia Trump Campaign said all along: the delegates are bound by the election results of Virginia’s March 1 Super Tuesday primary.
Elections matter. Voters matter. The people matter.
Republican Party Rule 16 states that delegates are bound to vote in accordance with election results.
The narrow ruling by Judge Payne instructed that Mr. Correll has to follow the rule of the people.
The court rejected Correll’s request to unbind.
Correll has to vote in accordance with the will of the people as determined by the results of the primary on Super Tuesday.
Frankly, Mr. Correll is in a worse position.
He never really had any say, but now it’s official.
Virginia’s 1,000,000 primary voters settled that on March 1st — Judge Payne confirmed it on July 11th.
On Republican Party Rule 16, the Court credits our expert witness’ Jesse Binnall’s testimony because it is logical and supported by the text of the rules.
On the contrary, Curly Haugland, Correll’s star witness who is peddling the fictional book “Unbound” to gullible buyers, was ruled to have no standing.
The unbound fantasy theory concocted by their own experts was disregarded by Judge Payne.
Frankly, this is an embarrassingly devastating loss to the unbound crowd and a repudiation of their nefarious thesis of nullifying 50 primaries and caucuses around the country because a handful of  delegates didn’t like the result.
The court did enjoin for Correll, so he can’t be prosecuted. Correll lost everything else.
And it’s a win for those of us who intervened in this case.
The court gave the precise ruling we — the interveners–wanted. We celebrate!
Nothing changed.
Curly Haugland is still a clown, and his views on Rule 16 were found by the court to have no textual standing.
Haughland’s views were significantly undermined by the Defendants’ impeachment using passages from Haughland & Parnell’s publication (e.g.,Tr. Jul. 7, 2016 82:10-93:3), and by the fact that Haugland’s views on RNC Rule 16 lack any textual support
As far as Mr. Correll, he can vote in his mind for Sen. Ted Cruz, and make believe he is the reason Cruz will get the eight delegates awarded to him by the primary election results and sent up to the podium by the secretary.
Bottom line: The court finds that RNC Rule 16 is in effect presently and that it controls the allocation and binding of delegates as to their voting at the convention.
Case closed.
Mr. Trump will be the 2016 GOP nominee.
72 comments
You misunderstand the court case which was mostly about state law (which is likely unconstitutional) and not RNC rules (which have not been voted on by the delegates yet).
#PrimaryVotesMatter
Donald J.Trump will voted the nominee at the convention and then in November he will be elected president of the United States of America. #PresidentTrump #ImWithYou
Good grief, the sheer amount of failed spinning here is incredible, it’s not even subtle.
I was rofl while I read this. The funniest part is that nobody is fooled by this except for Trump supporters, and there’s no need to fool them.
What a load of B.S.
Trump once again lying. What a shock.
This is another preview of what a Trump administration will look like. Nothing but lies. John lost all credibility with me a few weeks ago.
Looks like he is little more than a……..
We’ll leave it go right there.
Still, Trump is he nominee.
…tall, tanned, strkingly great looking, super artiulate, brillinat dude? LOL
And knows how to take orders from HQ?
I’m married to the Fruehlein! Of course I can take orders, been doing it for 30+ years!!
Let me make it clear, John. Billary is just as big a liar as Trump.
As with a lot of other people, I don’t like either. And, Trump was the best out of the 17.
It sucks. Welcome to the lost country.
OH, RR — Well Trump was my #1 choice by a longshot and so we will make your day soon! You’ll be proud when the election is over, we win! and Trump changes America and makes it great again! Its all good! John
If the Republican Party denies the will of the people next week in Cleveland, and nominates someone other than Trump.
How long can it be until the Electoral College overthrows the will of the people, and denies the will of the people in the general election?
Already did. Technically George Bush technically lost the popular vote to Al Gore but he won the Electoral College and the Presidency
The Electoral College already does this Reinhardt because 48 of the fifty states disenfranchise the minority of voters in the general election by retaining the “winner-take-all” rule instead of a “by-district vote” rule. One friend who looked into the nationwide vote a-little more closely than I have had the time to do so far claims that if the voting in each state in 2012 had actually been counted on a “by-district” basis instead of a “winner take all” one, Romney would have actually won the Electoral College vote by (9 or) 10 votes! So why isn’t this part of our national platform? In Virginia alone, Romney carried 7 of 11 Congressional district votes but got no benefit from this turnout, or the $25 m still left in his campaign fund at the end of the election either with which he could have tried to buy those votes nationwide like Obama did prior to the general election with free cell phones.
John I hope and am praying your prognostication becomes reality, but in the meantime “let me also remind you” (to borrow the words of our 1964 GOP candidate and the 19th c political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville) the secret of the “greatness of America is her goodness. If America ever ceases to be good, she will always cease to be great.” So where would you say we stand today on this scale and what must we each be doing individually or as a party to either re-gain that greatness we once had, or actually achieve it in full for the first time in our nation’s brief history no matter who we elect and inaugurate in November and January?
Trump is a candidate, not the nominee.
Let’s end the circular firing squad in the republican party.
Get rid of Trump and that will happen.
the majority chose him. get over it.
the plurality chose him
that’s all that was possible for the winner in a 17 candidate contest.
Not really. Since there were so many non-republicans voting in the republican primaries, and since virtually all of the non-republicans voted for Trump, even a plurality of republican voters would have given Trump an overall majority.
I don’t think so. Americans want Trump. Both parties have mislead/lied to/taken advantage of us…we’ve had enough. Trump isn’t really of either party, but he might be what we need.
There’s no evidence that “Americans want Trump.” You’re right that Americans are fed up with both parties. But Trump is likely to be the nominee of one of those parties. Of course, none of that has anything to do with whether a majority of republicans chose Trump (they didn’t), whether a majority of republicans approve of Trump (they don’t), or whether the republican party will be united under Trump (it won’t). If Trump’s the nominee, you might as well get used to the circular firing squad, because that will be the reality through November. Should be interesting.
well….more Americans voted for this candidate running for republican nominee for president than either McCain or Romney. You can rationalize it and explain it however you want, but it is what it is and I’m happy that we’re growing a spine….finally.
You’re right that more American primary voters (largely non-republicans) voted for Trump than for McCain or Romney. You neglect to mention that more Americans (mostly republicans) voted against Trump than against McCain or Romney. The fifteen million who voted against Trump through the republican primaries is an all-time record that may not be broken in my lifetime. I think you might be misinterpreting democrat crossovers as “growing a spine,” and I fear you’ll be disappointed when those democrats don’t turn out to vote for Mr. Trump in the general election and when many of the fifteen million republicans who voted against him in the primaries don’t turn out to vote for him either. Add to that the likely third party candidate run by the Better for America group, and things don’t look good for Mr. Trump in the general election. I have to admit, though, that he’s inspired a part of the electorate that has been dispirited for a while. It will be interesting to see how they react if he loses, especially if it’s a landslide.
Stop this ridiculous claim – it’s ridiculous. It’s just a way for bitter losers to claim they were cheated. Some establishment globalist on RedState speculates that a MILLIONS of Democrats colluded to game the GOP primary (coordinated enough to change their state party registration in time to vote in the primary, no less), and suddenly it’s being spread around as some established fact.
It’s not. It’s wildly improbable, and inappropriate as the premise for an argument.
Fact: Record republican vote for Trump. Fact: Even bigger record republican vote against Trump. Fact: Turnout down in democrat primary.
Actually, turnout was significantly UP in the Democrat primary from 2012. If you’re comparing to 2008, then it is down, but only VERY SLIGHTLY – not enough to account for the Republican vote, which is much more likely independents that typically do not vote in primaries.
Here are the actually (that is, no-spin factual numbers):
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/03/08/so-far-turnout-in-this-years-primaries-rivals-2008-record/
Why would you even mention the democratic primary in 2012 when there was no primary challenge to the incumbent? So we agree. Democrat turnout down. Republican turnout (for Trump, but especially against Trump) way up. Btw, I agree with you that many of the “crossovers” weren’t dyed in the wool democrats. That’s why I said “non-republicans” instead of “democrats.”
“Non-Republicans”? You mean the folks that left during the last 12 years because of the didn’t want to sign a loyalty oath for left-leaning “Republican” candidates? OR the ones that got slated off by Cantor’s and other consultant strategies to “cleanse” the party? Or the ones that left in disgust at the gaming of the party system by consultants bringing in Democrats to get control of mass meetings?
Those “Non-republicans”?
Like I said, Trump has inspired a part of the electorate that has been dispirited for a while. It’s possible many of them haven’t voted since Ross Perot.
In fact I’ve heard many say they hadn’t voted in a primary since Ronald Reagan.
This is what the Republican Party has wrought. It’s a message from the conservatives to the party establishment. The party ignores it at their peril. Yet they seem more intent on destroying the party than allowing any reform from the bottom up.
Actually, it’s been a weird confluence of the party establishment, Donald Trump, and lofo voters that has destroyed the republican party. Those rightly unhappy with the establishment had suitable choices available to them among the seventeen candidates who sought the nomination. And yet they were snookered into settling on the one candidate who is entirely unsuitable in every way. If they had chosen someone like Ted Cruz, we could have rammed him down the throats of the establishment. But by picking Trump, they’ve assured that the party will explode. Sure, the establishment is falling in line. Their power depends on it. McConnell will speak at the convention. But ideological conservatives (and, indeed, anyone with a sense of decency) can’t support Trump. And so the party will fracture. Hillary likely will be elected. Four more years of the hard left. Oh well. Another opportunity blown.
Stop your ridiculous spin! The large number of candidates contributed to the large number against Trump. Even with 16 other opponents he still outmanuevered,outperformed, and outright won the primary fair and square. You have no idea how many non Republicans voted for Trump.
You are right AnninVA26! Guys like Louis H are in denial and are trying to deny the overwhelming victory for Trump. These Free the Delegates are a bunch of crybabies. These Free the Delegates types represent a group of unhappy campers who have been marginalized and are now trying to rationalize why their candidate did not win.
These guys are the problem and the have been the problem for a very longtime.
Louis said it pretty well. Oh, and “get over it” has never convinced anyone to do anything at anytime in history.
Sounds like another marginalized non Trump supporter!
It started a long time before Trump. Why would it end just because Trump is out?
Because Trump has thrown gasoline on the fire. Trump is fighting with practically all of the factions within the GOP and he has them squabbling amongst themselves as well. Meanwhile, the moderates are happily sitting back and watching the flames.
When Trump supporter’s anger is gone, and Conservatives are too tired to fight, the moderates are poised to waltz in and pick-up where they left off before all this. Look at the grassroots level in the states where Trump won, look at the staff and leadership of the local Republican parties, squishy moderates are either in or waiting to get in. In their rush to get Trump nominated, his people handed power back to the men and women who crippled the Republicans in the first place.
Gee, I guess that means the voters can vote their conscience as well. The next open primary outta be a real blast,
OTOH, maybe Hillary’s delegates will vote for Bernie.
LOL I would love to see that I would also love to see the laws upheld and Lyin Crooked Killary prosecuted. #PresidentTrump #ImWithYou
Startling assertion from the author.
CBS news disagrees http://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-trump-delegate-scores-court-victory-in-virginia/
NBC news disagrees http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-va-trump-delegate-unbound-voting-him-rnc-n607461
And I have a feeling the other networks will reach similar conclusions.
It’s not clear to me whether the author of this article is lying or stupid, maybe a little of both, but probably mostly lying.
Well, Rep. Scott Rigell says all Trump voters like me are too stupid to have a job, so maybe he’s right, after all? Wow, there a lot of us out there, too! John
The delegates are only bound by the rules of the RNC, not the primary results. If they must, per RNC, vote by the results of the primary then so be it. But, the convention rules are not released so we have no clue about 1st round binding, this report is false, sorry John.
They haven’t yet finished working on the rules.
Are the delegates even bound by the rules of the RNC? James A. Garfield: “There never was a convention, there never can be a convention, of which I am one delegate, equal in rights to every other delegate, that shall bind my vote against my will on any question whatever.”
If I read the below-linked booklet correctly, it appears that from 1832 to 1968 the Democrat Party bound its delegates, but that the Republican delegates have always been actually free to vote their conscience:
http://www.citizensinchargefoundation.org/unbound
Wow. Wasn’t this also an issue in the lead-up to the 1976 RNC Convention between Ford and Reagan as well as the 1964 Convention contest between Goldwater and Rockefeller???
State parties as well as state laws, and the national party have attempted to bind delegates many times. Until 1976, (that is, for 120 years), every single one of these attempts was rejected in favor of the conscience of the individual delegate. Even in 1976, apparently, the binding only took place because it went un-challenged due to confusion about the rights of the delegates. I am not expert, but the booklet above is quite detailed in its recounting of the history.
Now, if the delegates do fail to nominate Trump, I think we need to be very careful. NO Republican candidate who supports Amnesty in any way is going to win in 2016. The Party will be salivating to get a Jeb or a Kasich or even Rubio in there, but any of these guys would be worse than Trump in many regards – – and they would lose, because the sentiment of the nation is that we need to enforce immigration law fairly and uniformly and without special “pathways” for people who have been breaking the law for years and years.
I have been critical of Beau’s lawsuit because it was simply rehashing settled law, but this statement right here by the Trump campaign is pure and utter hogwash.
The judge ruled exactly as he was expected to rule. National party rules take precedent over state laws. Nothing has changed. This means that if the Delegates vote to change the Party rules next week in Cleveland, they will be free to vote for whoever they want.
The delegates themselves will decide whether they are bound next week,and no state law can change that.
Well stated, Mick. .
This is just what Vice President Joe Biden did in is “lecture” to the American people in 2012 rather than allow Paul Ryan to state any of his or Romney’s positions on the issues (without interruption) in their lone Vice Presidential “debate.”
Correct. The state cannot force the party to adopt any particular rule just as it cannot force Correll to vote for Trump.
Correll filed to have the statute found unconstitutional. Trump intervened. He lost. Statute unconstitutional. The end.
Also: this website needs a semblance of quality control. It’s starting to look like insane people have the keys to the asylum.
Please stick with one phony name, least you end up talking to yourself.
ouch!
Don J — I’m intrigued that you expect censorship of fallacious content but freedom to post derogatory remarks about TBE admin. Cheeky!
I for one am glad TBE posted Mr. Frederick’s article. I can now identify him as a source of information that I can not trust to be accurate.
So Michael, what exactly will change between yesterday and today? Nothing. Rule 16 lives on. The 2016 RNC Rules committee needs at least 28 rules votes to present “unbound” to the delegates to the general delegation as a minority report and then they need 1,237 delegates to vote for it. Same as last week, last month, last year. BTW, there is ZERO chance of getting 1,237 delegates to vote to unbind. So basically this is the Curly Haugland Clown Show. Judge Payne’s ruling changed nothing. Except it validating Rule 16. Thanks! John
Rule 16 can be changed.
Geeze, This is so frustrating folks. Rule 16 can be changed at the convention by rules comittee and then the general delegation. This was true before and after the lawsuit and the ruling. Beau’s case ruling changed NOTHING. If 28 rules members vote to unbind, and it goes to the convention floor and 1237 delegates vote to unbind – then it carries. Chances of this are zero. John
I’d say the chances of this are more like 5% than zero. Those chances can fluctuate wildly based on what Trump does in the interim. Lately, his campaign has been doing a decent job keeping him under wraps. If they were smart, they would lock him up until the convention rules are set. As for your blatantly false statement that Trump’s losing this lawsuit changes nothing, if you were a lawyer, you would know that courts don’t decide non-issues. Part of the court’s ruling was that the ruling changes something. Now Virginia delegates don’t have to worry about prosecutions under the illegal Virginia statute. Of course they still have to worry about the RNC rules. That hasn’t changed. But being free of the fear of criminal prosecution isn’t nothing, especially for lawyers, who could be disbarred for criminal conduct.
Ok Louis, I too can sleep better at night knowing that Beau won’t be prosecuted under some obscure law that no would bring charges anyway. As for this, I’m signing off, Scott Rigell says Trump supporters are too stupid have a job, so I’m going to read some leather bound books…
Lawyers can’t simply violate state statutes (unless they’re named “Clinton,” and even Bill was disbarred).
What is frustrating? I don’t see any disagreement with your assessment about what the court case changes. All I see is disapproval of your article’s feckless spin on the court case.
Why feckless? If the case changed nothing, then nobody won and nobody lost. If I pulled the derisive adjectives out of the article, I would see little more than at title and a byline.
Given what I saw here http://www.showbiz411.com/2016/07/11/donald-trump-posts-fake-news-story-to-facebook-website-about-delegate-court-decision
I most want to know whether you were paid to misinform or whether you volunteered.
Oh, now the name calling and personal attacks! LOL I was surprised it took this long. It’s all good and have a great day! You can catch my radio show live in Cleveland 6AM to 12PM Monday to Friday during the convention! Thank you!
What??? Describing your article as feckless is a critique of the article and I explained why. That’s not a personal attack.
An example of a personal attack is “Curly Haugland is still a clown.” What kind of clown would make a personal attack like that?
John,
At this stage, I believe the GOP is unlikely to win the presidential race. I believe we need to recreate comm on ground and get on the the topic of legislator accountablility, and some basic expectations that permit politicians to compromise reasonably.
I’ll be the first to admit the issue of unbinding is a day-by-day education for me. I’m opposed to unlawful actions, but I don’t want to assume that our current procedures are steeped in history when many are not. I recently learned that the binding primary was promoted by George McGovern, and wasn’t adopted widely until 1969.
Although I’ve read about the court proceedings with great interest, I don’t recall I’ve argued for or against their necessity.
So since you asked me (thanks!) I would prefer to see the unbinding option go to from minority report to a vote. The results will prove informative, and will help all conservatives move on from the presidential circus to many important, persistent issues. Hopefully as a single, cohesive party.
What changes is that delegates now need not fear prosecution under blatantly unconstitutional state statutes if they choose to set up rules that allow them to vote their consciences.
Oh geeze, Louis, who was going to prosecute them? Me? This is so silly, for heavens sake.
Lawyers have to worry about little things like bar complaints. I realize that you traffic in careless lies, but lawyers can’t really get away with that sort of thing. They have to dot their i’s and cross their t’s.