Election recount in Michigan less likely after state AG's latest move

Michigan's Republican attorney general, Bill Schuette, on Friday filed a lawsuit aimed to stop the state's presidential election recount.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received just 1.1 percent of the vote in Michigan, filed a petition with the state's Board of Canvassers on Wednesday, requesting that it recount by hand the millions of votes cast in the Nov. 8 election. Trump received 47.5 percent of the vote compared to Hillary Clinton's 47.3 percent, according to Politico.

"Michigan voters rejected Stein’s candidacy by massive margins, but her refusal to accept that state-verified result poses an expensive and risky threat to hard-working taxpayers and abuses the intent of Michigan law. We have asked the court to end the recount which Stein is pursuing in violation of Michigan laws that protect the integrity of our elections," Schuette said in a statement released on Friday.

Stein's campaign paid nearly $1 million upfront for the recount. But the actual cost to re-tally all the millions of votes could exceed $5 million, leaving taxpayers footing the bill for the difference.

"It is inexcusable for Stein to put Michigan voters at risk of paying millions and potentially losing their voice in the Electoral College in the process," Schuette said. His lawsuit notes that while Stein could have filed the same lawsuit on Nov. 9, the day after the election, she instead waited three weeks to demand a hand recount. And because the electoral college convenes on Dec. 19 to finalize the presidential election results, Schuette said recounting millions of votes by hand before that date is a "process that cannot possibly be completed in time."

Stein has also filed for a recount in two other traditionally blue states: Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Trump won in Wisconsin with 47.8 percent of the vote. He also took Pennsylvania, winning 48.8 percent of the vote there, according to CNN.

The Clinton campaign originally said it would not participate in the Stein campaign's recount efforts but eventually agreed to take part "on principle."