Document Requests Sent to Maine and New Hampshire Secretaries of State
Washington, D.C. – The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) today sent Freedom of Information Act requests to two states seeking documents related to President Trump’s recently formed Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. These requests follow two earlier rounds of requests that LDF sent earlier this month regarding the commission’s establishment: the first consisted of requests to the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Justice, the second went to the Kansas Secretary of State and the Indiana Governor.
“There is absolutely no credible evidence that widespread voter fraud exists in the United States,” said LDF President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill. “The myth of rampant voter fraud is nothing but a threadbare justification for efforts to undermine the voting rights of Black and Latino Americans. This administration has already perpetuated that myth by repeating baseless claims of fraudulent ballots in the 2016 election, and with the formation of this commission, it is throwing its full weight – not to mention taxpayer dollars – behind the drive to curb the most basic right of Black and Latino Americans. LDF will continue to demand transparency and accountability from this commission, and we stand ready to take legal action against any attempts to intimidate or coerce minority voters.”
This round of requests have been sent to the offices of the Secretaries of State of Maine and New Hampshire, both of whom are serving on the Presidential Commission. The commission is co-chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has been one of the most ardent champions of restrictive and discriminatory voting laws and practices. LDF’s requests seek documents that include correspondence regarding the commission’s establishment, as well as any evidence of documented voter fraud.
Resources
LDF FOIA Request to Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap
LDF FOIA Request to New Hampshire Secretary of State William M. Gardner
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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 and 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.
