Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Office this week Again Denied a Request for Records by a U.S. House Panel seeking to Investigate the State’s Botched Voter Purge Program.
The Standoff over the Records started April 1st, when the Oversight and Reform Committee Demanded them as part of an Investigation into what House Democrats have called Voter Intimidation efforts in Several States.
The Voter Purge Program, which the Texas Secretary of State’s Office Launched in late January, relied on Faulty Data to Allege that nearly 100,000 Registered Texas Voters may Not be Citizens.
It was Shut Down by a Federal Judge in San Antonio the following Month, after Civil Rights Groups Sued.
While the Attorney General’s Office has Refused to Release Documents, Secretary of State David Whitley’s Office said Tuesday it has Released more than 1,000 Pages of Documents in response to the Request and Plans to Produce more by the End of the Week now that the Federal Lawsuit has been Settled.
Whitley’s Office continues to Withhold other Documents it says are Exempt from Disclosure because of Attorney-Client Privilege.
First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer in a Letter Monday reiterated his Claim that the House Committee Lacks the Authority to Force the Secretary of State to produce Documents.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD, 8th District), Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, has Rejected that Claim but last month stopped short of Threatening a Subpoena if the Texas Officials Don’t hand over the Documents Requested, including Emails with Gov. Greg Abbott and Trump Administration Officials about the Attempted Voter Purge.
In the Letter Monday, Mateer said the Ability of Congress to Pass Laws to Protect Voter Rights does Not “override the inherent and reserved power” of the State to Maintain its Own Voter Rolls.
“Granting Congress the power to exercise ‘oversight’ over the constitutional officers of a state engaged in the lawful exercise of that state’s core authority would undermine the fabric of our system of dual sovereignty,” Mateer wrote. “In this case, that risk would be made particularly acute by the committee’s attempt to force the constitutionally-designated attorney for the State of Texas to divulge privileged and confidential communications with a client concerning the client’s enforcement of Texas law.”
Texas’ Botched Search for Noncitizens on the Voter Rolls, which Ended in a Legal Settlement after State Officials Jeopardized the Voting Rights of Thousands of Legitimate Voters, was Paid for in Part with Dollars earmarked for bolstering Election Security amid concerns of Interference in 2016.
The Secretary of State’s Office used roughly $121,000 in Funds it Received from the Federal Help America Vote Act to run its Search for supposed Noncitizens. The Dollar figure was provided to State Lawmakers and confirmed Wednesday by a Spokesman for the Secretary of State who said it was a Legitimate use of the Money because it was meant to Improve the State’s Maintenance of its Massive Voter Registration List.
Texas was granted $23.3 Million as Part of Congress’ 2018 Reauthorization of the Help America Vote Act to help Improve and Secure Elections.
Is it time for the U.S. to create a Single Voter Office to Run are Elections with Professionals?
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
