Some Cruz Supporters Hope to Unbind via 'Conscience Exemption'

Ted Cruz supporters remain steadfast in their plans to shape the future of the GOP at the Republican convention later this summer.

"We'd like to see the grass-roots empowered," Ken Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general who is leading the Cruz backers, told the Wall Street Journal. "People are tossing ideas around right now. What we're in now is the brainstorming phase."

One of the ideas being proposed is the idea of "conscience exemption," which would unbind delegates from voting for Donald Trump on the first nominating ballot, the Journal reported.

"I believe Trump is going to be our nominee and I believe he will get to 1,237 on the first ballot, but it raises issues with delegates who are forced to vote for someone who it violates their conscience to vote for," Guy Short, one of two rules committee delegates from Colorado told the WSJ. "I think it's a reasonable policy to allow for exceptions for that kind of thing."

Cuccinelli told the WSJ that Cruz's team is still organized and focused on a broad slate of conservative fundamentals and rules changes, but unbinding delegates is not one of them.

"With the whole discussion of unbinding … we are getting bombarded with emails from people saying, 'Please say it isn't over;" Cuccinelli told the Journal. "You email back and say, 'Sorry, it is.'"

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