By Shelley Kofler
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-687038.mp3
Dallas –
The Democratic party of Texas has turned down a Clinton campaign request to delay party conventions until the identity of caucus participants can be validated. KERA's Shelley Kofler reports the Clinton campaign lawyers are now reviewing options.
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After the polls closed March 4, a staggering million-plus Texans jammed into Democratic precinct conventions. There they voted again for Clinton or Obama in a process that will decide how an additional 67 delegates are divided.
But Hillary Clinton's campaign claims that many of the precinct judges didn't follow the rules. Her Texas director, Garry Mauro, says judges often didn't check for proof that the caucus participants were registered voters who also cast ballots in the Democratic primary.
Mauro: We received over 2300 complaints all the complaints suggesting point blank saying that people who were unqualified to participate in the caucuses were participating in the caucuses. Over 200 thousand complaints means the validity of one in four caucuses was questioned.
Mauro says that's why Clinton's campaign on Friday asked the Texas Democratic Party to postpone the March 29 county and state senate district conventions where delegates for the state convention will be chosen. Mauro says the qualifications of caucus participants should first be checked.
Hector Nieto, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party, says there's no reason to delay.
Nieto: Senator Clinton's campaign has the ability to challenge this process by following the rules. But it's clear they don't want to do that. They would rather try to force us to change our rules
Mauro says the integrity of the election-and the proper divvying up of delegates- is at stake, so the Clinton campaign lawyers will consider remedies.
The Obama campaign in a press release suggested Clinton is contesting the process because Obama is expected to win more of Texas' caucus delegates.