Jill Stein claims CNN's debate criteria keeps other competitors out, files complaint over exclusion

WASHINGTON, DC: Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) after being excluded from the upcoming presidential debate.

Stein argued that voters deserve to hear from all candidates and not just the major party nominees, according to The Hill.

Jill Stein calls Joe Biden and Donald Trump 'two zombie candidates'

In an interview with Scripps News on Wednesday, June 19, Stein said, “We think that the American people are really hungry for a real debate, not just the two zombie candidates that are being rammed down our throats again."

“We know that the American people are really hungry for real debate and discussion, and I think they are owed that, and we need to have that," she added.

What is the participation criteria for presidential debate?

On June 27, CNN will be hosting the first presidential debate.

The candidates are required to achieve the necessary 15 percent support in four polls and viability on enough state ballots to earn 270 delegates to participate in the forum.

As per polling averages from Real Clear Politics, Stein falls far behind other presidential candidates, having just more than 1 percent support when compared to Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and independent candidates Robert F Kennedy Jr and Cornel West.

“I think candidates who are actually ballot qualified for most voters, who could potentially win the race, have very much — not that they have a right to be in the debate — but that voters have a right to hear them in a debate and to know who our choices are,” said Stein.

She echoed the sentiments of Kennedy who also did not meet the debate eligibility criteria before the deadline and argued without evidence that the debate rules have been manipulated against him by candidates and journalists.

“I certainly agree with RFK that there was illegal collusion here between the two candidates and CNN. This is basically illegally political coordination and we too, have now just filed a complaint with the FEC as well,” said Stein.

The Green Party candidate further claimed to have evidence of the alleged collusion but did not provide details.

“Well, it is illegal for a TV station to be in private dialogue with the political campaigns in order to create criteria that will keep all other competitors out,” said Stein.

“That is very much against FEC rules and also constitutes an illegal campaign contribution,” she added.

On Thursday, June 20, CNN announced that Biden and Trump had qualified for the presidential debate before the midnight deadline.