Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Long Overdue Demise of Sham Voter Commission

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the announcement by the White House that the so-called Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity is being dissolved:

"Good riddance. From the start, it was clear that the Pence-Kobach commission lacked integrity and credibility. It's telling that even in this announcement to its long overdue demise, President Trump continues the false narrative that there is 'substantial evidence of voter fraud.' There is no proof of widespread illegal voting or voter fraud in the 2016 election. The sham commission was a political ploy to provide cover for the president's wild and unfounded claims of mass voter fraud, and to lay the foundation to purge eligible voters from the rolls.

"Today's announcement is a victory for voters. Through public scrutiny and litigation, the civil rights community highlighted the nefarious purpose of this commission and its members, and worked to ensure that this administration had to follow important transparency and accountability laws.

"Instead of restricting access to the ballot box, we should be looking for ways to strengthen that fundamental right. Congress and the states must make voting easier and expand citizen participation. Rather than appointing a voter suppression dream team of individuals who have made wildly inflated claims about voter fraud, the president should instead be addressing the very serious problems this country has in its elections, including voter suppression. The legitimacy of our democracy depends on ensuring that every eligible voter can participate in the electoral process."