MALDEF

STATEMENT ON RESOLUTION OF CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS' CLAIMS AGAINST DISBANDED WHITE HOUSE 'ELECTION INTEGRITY COMMISSION'


March 1, 2018


(Washington, D.C.) - A motion filed by a coalition of civil rights groups to voluntarily dismiss their claims against the discredited and now-disbanded “Election Integrity Commission” has been approved by a federal court judge.

Last summer, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) and LatinoJustice PRLDEF joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) in challenging the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity on behalf of seven plaintiffs who sought to enjoin the Commission. The plaintiffs were #HealSTL, NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference, NAACP Florida State Conference, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, and Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, which contended that the commission was created to discriminate against voters of color.

The plaintiffs moved to voluntarily dismiss after the federal government made clear that no preliminary findings were issued by the Commission, and that state voter data it collected will not be used or shared with any agencies. The court approved the motion for dismissal without prejudice yesterday. Plaintiffs will continue to be vigilant in their work to protect voters against discriminatory action by the Trump administration.

Please attribute the following statement to Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF:

“While we are relieved that this ridiculous commission has been disbanded, we remain concerned and vigilant about voter data that should never have been collected. If the government or any commissioner ever attempt to misuse that data, MALDEF stands ready to step in to protect voter's rights.”

Please attribute the following statement to Antonio Gonzalez, president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP):

“SVREP is pleased that the Election Commission on Integrity was disbanded. The allegations that 3 million voted illegally in 2016 is a sham on democracy. We can continue to focus on protecting the vote and mobilizing the Latino vote.”

Please attribute the following statement to Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota:

“We are going to continue to be vigilant to ensure that our rights are being protected and that the ability of our community to vote is also being preserved. We are satisfied that the commission created by the Trump administration has been dismantled and that the data that was collected under the guise of resolving a fictitious issue has been secured.”

Read the order approving the motion here.



Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the "Latino Legal Voice for Civil Rights in America" MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.

Copyright 2009 MALDEF — Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund