Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) says Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s election recount effort is “a waste of time.”
“Jill Stein has not cited in Wisconsin, Michigan or Pennsylvania any explicit, concrete evidence that there was fraud,” Rendell said in an interview with radio host John Catsimatidis airing Sunday.
{mosads}”In fact, the secretary of State of Pennsylvania, who is under a Democratic governor and who was coincidentally my secretary of State when I was governor, says there’s no evidence of any voter fraud,” Rendell added.
“So I think the suits are a waste of time, they are not going to change the results,” he added.
His comments came as the Green Party on Saturday dropped its push for a statewide recount in Pennsylvania. President-elect Trump and his allies have pushed to block recounts in two other states, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Rendell, who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 election, also criticized Trump for alleging voter fraud after Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.
“He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that, Jill Stein shouldn’t be going to court and alleging without evidence, because all that does is shake voter confidence in the electoral process,” Rendell said.
During the interview, Rendell also suggested that President Obama remain the figurehead of the Democratic Party even after he leaves office.
“If he wants to — and I don’t know if he does — President Obama will be the titular head of the party and the person who leads the direction of the party for the next four years, at least,” Rendell said.