Anti-Trump group moves to sway Republican VP pick

Leaders of the anti-Donald Trump group "Free the Delegates" announced Sunday night they want a to play a part in who the presumptive GOP nominee picks as a running mate, particularly in light of the rumor Trump may pick a man they called a "lifelong Democrat," Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

On their fourth and final conference call, leaders noted the scheme falls under the same umbrella as the "conscience clause," which the group has championed as a potential way for delegates to unseat Trump as the nominee.

Beau Correll, the Virginia delegate who filed a lawsuit last month claiming state law requiring him to vote for Trump violates his First Amendment rights, is a key supporter of the VP effort.

"It's called the arranged marriage option," he said."Basically it ensures that delegates have a vote and can influence the vice president nomination. In its initial form there's a delegation threshold to nominate a person for the vice presidency, and subsequent rounds after the first round will be by majority. I think it's a good common sense proposal to add a counterweight to Trump's instability."

Correll also said he is "cautiously optimistic" he will win his own case in a ruling expected Monday or Tuesday and that it will set into play about 20 other states that could follow suit.

Listing a number of states including Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana and Kentucky, Correll said "all of these have binding statutes that seek to overcome party rules and individual association."

"Free the Delegates" leaders Kendal Unruh and Regina Thomson say their "grassroots" effort has picked up more momentum than they could have imagined in the short time it took them to put it together, saying the group has "actually built a larger campaign organization in one month's time than the Trump campaign has built in a year."

They said they will open an office Monday in Ohio and that they expect their "conscience clause" rule proposal will be addressed Friday in the final rules meeting ahead of the convention. They have spent the last month shopping it around to rules committee delegates.