Clinton campaign backs Wisconsin recount, Trump says move a ‘scam’

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Saturday it would participate in the recount effort in Wisconsin, a state won by President-elect Donald Trump on November 8, despite saying that it found no irregularities in the vote.

“Regardless of the potential to change the outcome in any of the states, we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented” in any recount, quoted Clinton campaign counsel Marc Erik Elias as saying in a statement.

Trump, for his part, called the recount effort led by Green Party candidate Jill Stein a “scam”.

Wisconsin election officials on Friday accepted a request from Stein, who received a little more than 1 per cent of the US popular vote, for a recount of the ballots in a state that was crucial to Trump’s surprise victory over Clinton.

Reform Party presidential Rocky De La Fuente also requested a recount.

Stein’s campaign said that it has already raised more than $5 million in donations to finance recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The candidate requesting the recount is responsible for the cost of the process.

Trump ripped Stein for pushing for the recount.

“The people have spoken and the election is over,” Trump said. “We must accept this result and then look to the future. This recount is just a way for Jill Stein to fill her coffers with money, most of which she will never even spend on this ridiculous recount.”

Winning Pennsylvania and Wisconsin assured Trump of exceeding the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency, even though Democratic standard-bearer Clinton won the nationwide popular vote by a margin of more than 2 million, according to the latest figures.