Washington, D.C. — Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president for External Affairs at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement tonight after the White House announced that it would dissolve a commission created to investigate alleged voter fraud during the 2016 election, despite the fact that voter fraud is exceedingly rare:
President Donald Trump’s so-called commission was, in short, an actual fraud. From the beginning, it was crystal clear that Trump’s commission was aimed at explaining away the president’s popular vote loss; stoking anti-immigrant and racial resentment; and bolstering voter suppression efforts—which are often aimed at communities of color. This experience should put an end to efforts to suppress voting rights, which are dangerous for our democracy and a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.
If this president is so concerned about the security of U.S. elections, he should start by clearly acknowledging Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential contest—a fact supported by our intelligence agencies—and work to improve our election infrastructure, which remains dangerously vulnerable to foreign hacking and cyberattacks.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202.478.6331.