Cory Booker Statement on Dissolution of Trump Voter Fraud Commission

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who has led the fight against the Trump voter fraud commission in the Senate issued the following statement after President Trump dissolved the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity:

“Trump's Voter Fraud Commission was an offense, based on a lie, blatantly seeking to suppress votes. I introduced a bill to disband the commission. I am so glad it is no longer necessary. Now that this step backwards was stopped, let's restore the Voting Rights Act.”

In July, Booker introduced bicameral legislation with Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) that would repeal the executive order establishing the commission. The Anti-Voter Suppression Act was cosponsored by more than 90 lawmakers, including every Democratic Senator of color.

Additionally, the Government Accountability Office announced in October that it would investigate the commission after Booker and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) urged the GAO to do so in a letter.

Booker also urged the state of New Jersey to reject Trump administration efforts to obtain sensitive voter information in a letter to state officials in July.

Booker asks N.J. to keep data from Trump voter fraud commission

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker asked NJ state officials to reject any request from President Donald Trump's voter fraud commission for information about New Jersey voter rolls.

He said comments by Robert Giles, director of New Jersey's division of elections, didn't go far enough.

"I am alarmed by the purpose of this commission: to look into a nonexistent problem of widespread voter fraud as a guise to collect data that is likely to be used to suppress legal voting in future elections and to provide President Trump's outlandish and laughable claim that he actually won the popular vote with some appearance of legitimacy," Booker said.

Booker (D-N.J.) earlier called Trump's campaign comments about voter fraud "a blatant lie" and the commission "a thinly veiled voter suppression effort."

His latest comments came in a letter to Dennis Robinson, serving as acting secretary of state since Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno has recused herself from all election-related issues while running for governor.

Booker acted after Giles rejected the commission's request for information that went beyond names, addresses and birth dates to include last four digits of Social Security numbers, voting history, felony convictions, military service and registrations in other states.

New Jersey was one of 46 states that rejected the request in all or in part.

[SOURCE: NJ.COM]