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President Donald Trump has tweeted his demand for a refund of the $3 million his campaign spent on a recount of the vote in Dane and Milwaukee counties.
“The PHONY recount in WI was a disgrace and a TOTAL ripoff!” the president tweeted shortly before 3 a.m. on Dec. 1. “I guess in WI you don’t get what you PAY for!!!”
In a later post Trump called on his supporters to stop buying milk and cheese until Wisconsin officials certified him as the winner despite any evidence of irregularities or voter fraud that would change President-Elect Joe Biden’s 20,000-vote margin in the state.
In a candid interview later in the day on Fox News, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, was more specific about the campaign’s complaints.
“Quite frankly, we thought the $3 million Wisconsin was demanding for the recount was extortion,” said Giuliani. “I mean when you do the simple math, if you’re buying 21,000 votes that comes out to $142 a vote. Nobody ever paid that in New Jersey!
“And then what did we get for it? Biden picked up another 74 votes. It’s outrageous! At the very least Biden should have to pay $10,500 for those votes — which is what 74 votes apparently cost in Wisconsin at $142 a pop. It’s only fair.”
To make matters worse for the Trump camp, the $3 million was spent in Dane and Milwaukee counties, Democratic strongholds that were the only two counties in which Trump demanded a recount. “We pump all that money into local economies in Madison and Milwaukee and what thanks do we get?” said Giuliani. “They’re just going to waste it all on beer and weed and holiday contributions to Heifer International!”
Now that the results have been officially certified the action moves to the courts where Trump supporters are demanding that an estimated 238,000 legally cast ballots in Milwaukee and Dane counties be thrown out.
Asked on Fox if that wasn’t just another waste of money with little or no chance of success, Giuliani admitted it was a long shot. “But at least the money will go to the lawyers,” he said.
