This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

GOP officials alarmed at Trump's 'rigged' election talk; Trump calls them 'naive.' New poll keeps Utah as a swing state. Utah GOP receives threat, shutters office temporarily.

Happy Tuesday. Donald Trump's escalating effort to undermine the presidential election as "rigged" has alarmed government officials administering the vote as well as Democratic and Republican leaders, who are anxiously preparing for the possibility of unrest or even violence on Election Day and for an extended battle over the integrity of the outcome. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/election-officials-clinton-team-brace-for-fallout-from-trumps-rigged-claims/2016/10/17/b6098246-9478-11e6-9b7c-57290af48a49_story.html">WaPost</a>] Trump meanwhile is going after GOP leaders who aren't buying into his message: "Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day. Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive!" Trump tweeted. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-tweets-biden-groper-229877">Politico</a>]

<strong>Topping the news: </strong>A new poll again shows Utah as a swing state with Donald Trump leading Evan McMullin by one point and McMullin leading Hillary Clinton by one point. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4476877-155/presidential-update-new-poll-cements-utah?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664994/New-poll-shows-McMullin-ahead-of-Clinton-in-Utah-trailing-Trump-by-1-point.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> James Evans, the Utah Republican Party chairman who went live on CNN last week and brought up claims that Bill Clinton fathered an illegitimate son with a prostitute, has received racist threats over the phone since the interview; the GOP's office has been temporarily shuttered. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4476580-155/threatening-calls-follow-utah-gop-leaders"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664987/GOP-chairman-Party-members-being-dispersed-following-specific-death-threat-against-him.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/utahs-gop-chairman-gets-racist-threatening-phone-call"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> An internal poll conducted by Doug Owens' campaign shows Rep. Mia Love 10 points ahead of Owens, a smaller gap than in earlier polls, but Love is out-fundraising Owens.  [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477146-155/new-internal-poll-shows-love-owens-race?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/data-mia-love-hits-fundraising-high-in-election-homestretch/article_1f815d89-2d43-5a21-8d83-379fca2e462b.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]

<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/LOLGOP"; target="_blank">LOLGOP</a>: "If I'm 70 and my third wife describes me as being her second child, please don't let me run for president."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/robinthede"; target="_blank">robinthede</a>: "I really hope Hillary's improvements to Obamacare include free mental health care for everyone who survives the purge, I mean, election."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/Acosta"; target="_blank">Acosta</a>: "Trump supporter holding up a Ryan 'TRADER' sign. I think he means 'traitor.' Unless speaker has part time job we don't know about."

 

<strong>Happy Birthday:</strong> to state Rep. Sue Duckworth and state Sens. Curt Bramble and David Hinkins.

<strong>In other</strong> <strong>news: </strong>The Human Rights Campaign gave Salt Lake City a high LGBTQ inclusion score on Monday as the city's two openly gay councilmen push a public accommodation ordinance that would ban sex-based discrimination in more settings and set the stage for a possible future state law. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4473474-155/salt-lake-city-ranks-high-on?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664991/Salt-Lake-City-Council-members-to-push-for-public-accommodations-law.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/17/slc-council-to-push-lgbt-nondiscrimination-in-public-accommodations/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/hrc-launches-municipal-equality-index-in-salt-lake-city"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/slc-recognized-for-human-rights-equality-in-lgbtq-community"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/salt-lake-city-council-consider-public-accommodations-ordinance#stream/0"; target="_blank">KUER</a>]

-> Rep. Rob Bishop and Democratic challenger Peter Clemens hash out the age-old debate over fresh elected officials vs. powerful and experienced incumbents at their only debate Monday night. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477562-155/democrat-peter-clemens-jabs-at-rep"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/watch-live-1st-congressional-district-debate"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]

-> A Salt Lake County Republican activist filed a request Monday for the Attorney General's Office to investigate incumbent Mayor Ben McAdams' work on the Mountain Accord, a follow-up on GOP challenger Dave Robinson's accusations last week. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477010-155/county-gop-attacks-mcadams-again-on"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665026/Salt-Lake-County-GOP-continues-attacks-against-McAdams-Mountain-Accord.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/utah-gop-says-mcadams-broke-state-law"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

<span style="line-height: 1.5;">-> Jeff Edwards, CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, announced his retirement Monday with a legislative audit of the group set for release on Tuesday. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477016-155/edcutah-head-steps-down-ahead-of"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</span>

-> Utah State University was the only Utah school to receive a federal grant, worth $300,000, to fight campus sexual assault. The school plans to use the money to hire more counselors at its Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information office and train police in handling such cases. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4475927-155/utah-state-wins-300k-grant-to?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> A federal judge reiterated Monday that FLDS leaders John Clifton Wayman and Seth Steed Jeffs will be tried together and that the joint trial does not violate their right to a speedy one. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477538-155/judge-denies-motion-to-separate-trials"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/17/judge-wont-separate-flds-members-in-food-stamp-fraud-trial/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]

-> Provo City Council plans to avid a mayoral veto by rescinding its vote to impose a fee on solar users. [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/provo-municipal-council-to-rescind-solar-fee-vote-asks-mayor/article_59ca448c-3f03-5d63-a58b-bd72d34f1968.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]

-> Pat Bagley suggests that Trump's cries of a rigged election could keep his own supporters away from the polling booth. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4477702-155/bagley-cartoon-upside-of-voter-suppression"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Nationally:</strong> Sen. John McCain pledged in a talk-radio interview Monday that the Senate GOP would block any liberal Supreme Court justice Hillary Clinton would appoint as president. McCain's campaign later mellowed out the comment, saying the senator would look at each judge's record first. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/10/17/supreme-court-is-an-issue-again-after-mccain-suggests-clinton-blockade/"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/17/us/politics/ap-us-mccain-supreme-court-.html?_r=0"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]


-> The FBI released documents Monday that alleged an offer of a "quid pro quo" deal between the FBI and the State Department under Clinton: That the bureau would relabel one of Clinton's emails as not classified in exchange for the State Department granting a stalled FBI request to increase personnel in Iraq. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/documents-state-dept-official-wanted-fbi-to-change-the-classification-of-one-of-clintons-emails/2016/10/17/1492979c-9471-11e6-bb29-bf2701dbe0a3_story.html"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-documents-show-state-department-fought-classification-of-clinton-emails-1476724447"; target="_blank">WSJ</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/fbi-state-department-clinton-email-229880"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]

-> Donald Trump proposed plan Monday night to curb government corruption. If elected president, Trump says he would instate a five-year ban on executive officials and legislators lobbying when they leave office and halt foreign lobbying for U.S. elections. [<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-proposes-new-lobbying-restrictions-1476757359"; target="_blank">WSJ</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-proposes-ethics-reform-229911"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/17/politics/donald-trump-ethics-reform-2016-election/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]

-> Melania Trump did an interview Monday for the first time since her husband's campaign became mired in sexual assault allegations. She defended her husband, denying stories of Trump groping women, insisting the allegations didn't line up with the man she knows and lightheartedly describing Trump as a boy. [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/17/politics/melania-trump-interview/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/17/melania-trump-defends-embattled-husband-calls-lewd-comments-boy-talk/"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://time.com/4534216/melania-donald-trump-billy-bush-boy-talk/"; target="_blank">Time</a>]

<strong>Where are they?</strong>

<ul>

<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> hits an Education Excellence Commission and attends the Mountain West Capitol Network Awards.</li>

<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> drops into the Education Excellence Commission, participates in a Learning Leader Podcast and interviews with City Weekly.</li>

<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>welcomes Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Mrs. Agnese Landini for an official visit including a bilateral meeting, press conference, photo op, State Dinner and reception.</li>

</ul>

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— Thomas Burr and Zoe Woolf McGinn

<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/zoewmcginn"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/zoewmcginn</a>