GOP officials: Rules changes unlikely before July convention

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three top Republican Party officials say they believe there’s a consensus that the GOP should not propose rewriting rules about picking a presidential nominee before this summer’s national convention.

That would defer battles over how the nominating process will work until the party’s delegates gather in Cleveland in July to choose a presidential candidate.

The comments come after leading GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has complained that the party’s nominating system is rigged. Trump leads the race for delegates, but some Republicans are openly working against him for fear that he will lose the general election and cost GOP congressional seats.

Florida GOP committeeman Peter Feaman says he and other members of the party’s rules committee want to avoid the appearance of trying to “meddle or manipulate the convention process.”