Roy Moore raising funds for ‘election integrity fund,’ refuses to concede election

It’s time for Roy Moore to hang it up, accept his loss and move on.

In what’s beginning to sound like a re-run of the post-2016 presidential election, Moore, a former a U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama’s special election, is asking for donations to finance a voter fraud investigation. Although Moore lost his bid to his Democratic rival, Doug Jones by a significant margin 50-48 percent in the deep red state, the former state supreme court justice has so far refused to concede.

Deadline

The Alabama secretary of state is expected to certify the election results sometime between December 26 and January 3. Moore has until then to submit proof of voter fraud. The Hill reported:

In a letter sent out to supporters, the campaign said its budget “ran through” on Tuesday, the night of the Alabama special election, and asked supporters to help raise another $75,000 to collect reports of “voter fraud and other irregularities at polling locations throughout the state.”

“My campaign team is busy collecting numerous reported cases of voter fraud and irregularities for the Secretary of State’s office,” the statement said.

On a wing and a prayer

The Moore campaign made its appeal Friday, two days after all precincts had sent their results to the secretary of state’s office. The Hill reported:

All 100 percent of precincts in the state reported results by Wednesday morning, but Moore told supporters in an email “military and provisional ballots haven’t yet been counted by the Secretary of State’s office,” the results of which the campaign hopes will swing the vote in Moore’s favor.

Moore, who faced multiple allegations of past sexual misconduct during the campaign, lost a seat that has gone Republican for the past 25 years.

Deja vu all over again

The actions taken by the Moore campaign evoke memories of those taken by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. After Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost her presidential bid to Donald Trump on Nov. 8, 2016, Stein embarked on a campaign seeking funds to finance recounts in key states.

Stein had zero chance of winning the presidency and her move was an obvious attempt to overturn Clinton’s stunning loss, which surprised political observers on both sides.

The recount was a monumental flop. None of the states’ results changed, and Trump actually picked up 131 additional votes in Wisconsin.

Michigan’s recount was even more devastating for Clinton. It uncovered anti-Trump fraud in heavily-Democratic metropolitan Detroit. Election officials discovered more votes than voters in the Motor City, prompting state Republicans to call for an investigation.

Oops!

Trump backed Sen. Luther Strange during Alabama’s Republican primary race. After Moore took the nomination in a runoff against Strange, the president eventually gave Moore his support. After Moore’s defeat, Trump congratulated Jones and reminded everyone he was right to back Strange.

Strange will retain his seat until some time in January, and then Jones will take over until the 2020 election.

As for Moore, it’s time to face reality — he’s beginning to sound like Clinton.