Fraud, travesty: Washington delegate speaks out about Republican Convention

Pandemonium. That’s what broke out on the floor of the Republican National Convention on Monday as a group of delegates tried to derail Donald Trump’s nomination.

It all came down to rules. Getting delegates to pass the rules set out for the convention is usually a formality. But in Cleveland, there was a rebellion.

Many of Washington state’s delegates took part in that rebellion. They wanted to be able to vote for any candidate, but convention rules don’t allow that.

Eric Minor is a delegate from Gig Harbor. He was pushing for a roll-call vote to see if the majority of delegates really do support the convention rules.

And he said that when that push failed, he was stunned. The first word that went through his head: “Fraud.”

“It was a complete travesty. In the rules there are provisions for delegates to demand a roll-call vote if they complete some certain procedures,” Minor said.

That involves getting enough signatures on a petition to force the vote. Minor said he and many other delegates worked hard to get those signatures.

Convention officials said they fell below the requirement after some people pulled their support. But Minor doesn’t accept that. He thinks the vote was stolen.

“It’s a simple, fundamental thing in America to actually record an honest vote, and they refused to do it,” Minor said. “There’s no way I’m going to stay silent about what happened. It’s the type of thing that happens in third-world banana republics.

“Absolutely unbecoming of the Republican Party.”

Minor concedes there’s nothing else he can do to derail the nomination. Trump was officially nominated Tuesday evening. But Minor will not be voting for him come November.

“I’m certainly not going to vote for Hillary Clinton, either. Both are disgraceful choices.”

If Clinton does win the November election, the divide in the Republican Party is sure to take some of the blame. But Minor said he doesn’t feel he’s responsible for that.

“My allegiance is to America, it’s not blind allegiance to the Republican Party. And if the Republican Party is going to conduct themselves this way then they don’t deserve my allegiance, that’s all I can say about that,” he said.

Produced for the Web by Kate Walters.