As President Trump’s controversial election commission held its first meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, California Democrats were also in the nation’s capital -- denouncing the group’s work.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has been among the most outspoken critics of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, created by Trump after his repeated unsubstantiated claims that millions of illegal votes were cast in last year’s presidential election -- many in California.
The commission raised the hackles of both Republican and Democratic state officials last month when it sent a letter to all 50 states, asking for detailed personal information of all registered voters -- including things like party affiliation, birthdates, partial Social Security numbers and voting history. The commission ended up putting that request on hold after seven lawsuits were filed, challenging the group's conduct and legality.
But before the request was paused, officials from 44 states said they would not or could not hand over some or all of the desired voter data, many citing state laws.