Green Party U.S. Publishes Letter Denouncing Jill Stein’s Recount Effort

by Scott Creighton

On the 28th, on the (Margaret) Flowers for Senate website, the Green Party U.S. has published a statement about the Jill Stein recount effort taking place right now. The letter, signed by both co-chairs of Green Party U.S. and other prominent Green Party Members (Chris Hedges, Cynthia McKinney, Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers and others) as well as hundreds of rank and file Green Party members, clearly states the Green Party does not support her efforts while they do support legitimate actions to defend voters rights and to fight against election rigging, voter disenfranchisement and voter suppression.

They lay out several reasons for their not supporting this effort which include the undemocratic way Stein went about undertaking this project, the fact that it doesn’t address real election rigging techniques they have seen used (all it focuses on is the “Russians did it” BS) and the appearance of it being done to benefit Hillary Clinton.

The letter and some signatures are republished below the fold. You can go to the original here.

We write to reaffirm our commitment to building a Green Party that has a radical analysis of the society in which we live, and promotes bold solutions to transform our society and address the root causes of those crises; a Green Party that is independent of the two money-dominated parties.

There is a deep social crisis in the US. This crisis manifests in countless ways. One of its central manifestations is through the political system. People have legitimate concerns about the electoral system, which is manipulated through wholesale voter disenfranchisement, massive voter suppression and the racist and undemocratic historical logic of the Electoral College. In all fifty states, voters from poor and marginalized communities, especially Black people and other communities of color, have their votes suppressed and are excluded from participation through various practices.

The Green Party cannot build the political power necessary for the transformative changes we need by allying with two capitalist parties that serve the interests of the wealthy. That is why it is imperative that the Green Party is independent of those parties. We stay independent to give people an alternative to the corruption of two money-based parties. Greens reject donations from corporations and their political action committees to ensure we are accountable to the people and so that the people’s agenda is not superseded by the corporate agenda.

There are significant electoral reforms needed to make elections more democratic and more representative of the people. While we support electoral reforms, including how the vote is counted, we do not support the current recount being undertaken by Jill Stein.

The decision to pursue a recount was not made in a democratic or a strategic way, nor did it respect the established decision making processes and structures of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS).  The recount has created confusion about the relationship between the Green and Democratic parties because the states chosen for the recount are only states in which Hillary Clinton lost. There were close races in other states such as New Hampshire and Minnesota where Clinton won, but which were not part of the recount. And this recount does not address the disenfranchisement of voters; it recounts votes that were already counted rather than restoring the suffrage of voters who were prevented from voting.

As a candidate, Dr. Stein has the right to call for a recount. However, we urge the GPUS to distance itself from any appearance of support for either Democrats or Republicans. We are well aware of the undemocratic actions taken during the primaries by the DNC and the Clinton campaign. Greens cannot be perceived to be allied with such a party.

We remain committed to the Green Party’s four pillars and ten key values, which have at their foundation grassroots democracy. We urge the GPUS to prioritize its efforts on building our party from the bottom up, working and organizing in direct solidarity with our state and local parties and alongside and in defense of the rights of those most affected by the injustices of a capitalist, white supremacist and undemocratic system. This includes support for local efforts to prevent the disenfranchisement of people of color via voter suppression or because of felony convictions and to be more inclusive and participatory in our decision-making processes and work.

Signed,

Chris Blankenhorn, Co-Chair of Green Party US, GPUS Youth Caucus, Illinois

Andrea Merida Cuellar, Co-chair of Green Party US, Co-founder GPUS Latinx Caucus, Colorado

Bahram Zandi, Ph.D., Co-chair of Green Party US, Maryland

Janet Martell, Secretary of Green Party US, North Carolina

James Andrews, Youth Director, Stein-Baraka campaign, New York

Adrian Boutureira, Green Party of Texas, Socialist Greens, Jill2016- Field Director- Latinx Outreach Coordinator

David Doonan, IWW, Union #560, former Village Mayor, Greenwich, NY, Upper Hudson Green Party, New York

Grace Lopez, Long Island Volunteer Coordinator Jill Stein for President 2016, Chair, Jim Brown, Nassau County, New York

Dan Pulju, Jill2016 lead volunteer phonebanker, 9013 calls, Pacific Green Party, Oregon

Kevin Zeese, Senior Adviser Stein-Baraka campaign, Maryland

Chris Hedges, Stein-Baraka endorser, author, New Jersey

Brandy Baker, National Committee Delegate, Maryland

Steven Ballard, Massachusetts Delegate to National Convention (Jill Stein Supporter)

Jim Brash, Green National Committee, New Jersey; Green Party of New Jersey Green Council

Joseph A. Calhoun, Green Party candidate U.S. Congress 2004 / 2006, Colorado

Tim Casebolt, Secretary, Lavender Green Caucus

Sharon LeMay Green National Committee delegate and Anoka County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, District 5 (January 2017), Minnesota

Gini Lester, Lavender Greens Caucus, Illinois

Steven Linnerooth, GPUS National Committee Delegate, Minnesota

Cynthia McKinney, 2008 Presidential candidate, Georgia

Rosa Clemente, 2008 Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate, New York

Lauren Besanko, former Green Party candidate for State Legislature, Maine

Owen R. Broadhurst, 2006 candidate and former member of Green-Rainbow Party’s Administrative Committee, Massachusetts

Eric Brooks, Coordinating Committee Member, Green Party Of California

Michael Cornell, Green, Former Member and Chair of the Columbia Council, Maryland

Don DeBar, past Green Party Candidate, New York

John Eder, (G) Portland Board of Education, Maine

Margaret Flowers, former Green Party candidate for US Senate, Maryland