The Fresno County Democratic Central Committee has not endorsed any candidate in this race.
Have you ever heard the saying, “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst?”
When it comes to Trump’s so-called Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, the best thing that could happen is that it would disband and end its imminent threat to our voting rights. That’s what I hope for.
Unfortunately, what seems to be happening is far worse.
The Commission is operating in secret. Two of the Commission members are even complaining about the commission’s lack of transparency.
In addition, multiple U. S. Senators are calling for an investigation as to why the commission continuously ignores requests for information made by Members of Congress.
Trump has spewed lies about massive voter fraud since even before last year’s election. And commission co-chair Kris Kobach himself has a long and well-documented history of voter suppression. Given their clear and dangerous agenda, we need to hold them accountable. If Trump won’t disband this effort, we must compel them to operate in a transparent and fair manner.
Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions himself admitted that the Department of Justice is assisting the commission. In the same hearing, he also admitted that we’re not doing enough to prevent Russia from interfering in future elections.
Even Sessions can’t cover it up. We’re not doing enough to defend our democracy from foreign interference. But Trump would rather spew lies about voter fraud to advance his voter suppression agenda. Trump and Kobach are committed to making it harder for Americans to register and vote.
We can not sit by as Trump, Sessions, and Kobach conspire to suppress the right to vote.
Michael, we’ve called on Trump to disband the commission. But if he refuses, let’s demand that the commission operate in a way that’s is transparent and accountable to the American people. The better we can monitor their activity, the better we can resist their inevitable attacks on our right to vote.
Thank you,
Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State
