WA electors seek to avoid fine for anti-Trump effort

SEATTLE (AP) - Two Democratic presidential electors from Washington who want to see Donald Trump denied the presidency are asking a federal judge to ensure they don't get fined for ignoring the results of the popular vote here.

Bret Chiafalo and Levi Guerra took a voluntary pledge to vote for their party's nominee - Hillary Clinton - if she won Washington, which she did. But they want to join with other so-called "Hamilton electors" from both parties to choose some other candidate when the Electoral College meets next Monday.

Washington law provides that electors who break their pledge can be fined $1,000. fine for electors who break that pledge. They're asking U.S. District Judge James L. Robart to block that law at a hearing Wednesday afternoon. They argue that the law violates the Constitution, including free-speech rights.

Attorneys for the state argue that nothing about the law is unconstitutional.