Roy Moore, the disgraced and defeated senate candidate from Alabama who’s been accused of sexual assault by 9 women – two of them minors at the time of their alleged encounters – isn’t going gently into that good night.
Even though the sun has finally, mercifully set on one of the most comedically tragic elections in recent memory, the fallen former judge is still kicking and screaming and showing no signs he intends to stop.
After a tumultuous 24 hours, in which he attempted to postpone the certification of the special election results on the basis of voter fraud, Democrat Doug Jones’ victory has finally been certified by the state of Alabama.
That should have ended the matter once and for all. Moore and his surrogates in the media, however, don’t appear to be anywhere near finished with their very public exercise in self-humiliation.
Moments before the certification became official, Moore campaign spokeswoman Janet Porter appeared on CNN and threatened Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Secretary of State John Merrill – both Republicans – with political retribution if they followed through on their duties as state officers and declared Jones the winner.
“Here’s the thing that Gov. Ivey needs to know: She’s up for reelection, too, and there are 650,000 people who are watching this very closely, what they do right now,” Porter told CNN’s Dana Bash. “If they certify what has been proven by three independent experts that say this is fraudulent enough to overturn this entire election, they are going to be accountable at the voting booth.”
They certified anyway. Instead of offering a long awaited concession, Moore instead dug in his heels and issued a stunning statement of defiance.
“As I said on election night, our victory marks a new chapter for our state and the nation,” the statement reads. “I will be an independent voice and work to find common ground with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get Washington back on track and fight to make our country a better place for all.”
“I’ve had to fight not only the Democrats but also the Republican Senate Leadership Fund and over $50 million in opposition spending from the Washington establishment,” the statement continues. “I have stood for the truth about God and the Constitution for the people of Alabama.”
You can read Roy Moore’s statement in its entirety below.
