Justice Department Has Communicated With Controversial Election Commission, Sessions Confirms
Attorney General Jeff Sessions confirmed Wednesday that there have been communications between the Justice Department and President Donald Trump’s controversial election fraud commission, amplifying concerns that the two bodies may be working together to make it harder for Americans to vote.
The actions and records of the election commission so far have confirmed fears among voting rights advocates that the commissions’ leaders are determined to compile evidence of voter fraud—of which there have been few documented cases—with the likely goal of imposing tighter restrictions on registering and voting. The commission’s communications, revealed earlier this month as part of a lawsuit, have raised concerns that it is not acting alone in its work. Voting rights advocates became concerned that the Justice Department and the commission were coordinating in June, when on the same day that the commission requested data from states on every registered voter, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division asked states to turn over information on how they maintain their voting rolls.