Kiren Marshall, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, marshall@civilrights.org, 202.780.9835
Sandra Hernandez, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, shernandez@MALDEF.org, 310.386.5768
Don Owens, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, dowens@lawyerscommittee.org, 202.934.1880
Phoebe Plagens, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, pplagens@naacpldf.org, 212.965.2235
WASHINGTON – The co-chairs of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Voting Rights Task Force, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, MALDEF, and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement regarding the recent allegations against Sen. Lindsey Graham putting pressure on Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger and other state officials to discard legally cast ballots.
“We are deeply disturbed by the allegations that Senator Lindsey Graham pressured Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger and other state officials to toss out legally cast ballots. The accusations, if true, are of the same character as the myriad of voter suppression tactics witnessed in this election, and are focused on the same objective of denying the right to vote. To suggest, directly or indirectly, that any election official act in such a manner is an affront to the democratic process and may violate the law.
“Our democracy hinges on one fundamental principle – counting every vote. It is an obligation, a moral imperative, and a duty that upholds our sacred right to choose our leaders. We urge the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Committee on House Administration to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into Senator Graham’s conduct in this matter.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.