Jonathon Berman, (202) 495-3033, joanthon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to lead a commission investigating Trump’s repeatedly disproven assertion of the existence of voter fraud. Despite no evidence, Trump has claimed that three to five million Americans voted illegally in the 2016 election, a claim that has been categorically proven to be untrue.
Kris Kobach has pushed for voting restrictions in his state, claiming it prevents voter fraud despite little to no evidence of this occurring. On Tuesday, it was revealed that Wisconsin’s excessive voting restrictions reduced voter turnout by 200,000 votes, primarily among people of color. Trump won the state by less than 23,000 votes.
This announcement comes less than 48 hours after Trump abruptly dismissed FBI Director James Comey, who has been leading an investigation into Trump and his campaign’s ties to Russia.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“No one should be confused by what this executive order is: an assault on the right to vote built on non-existent evidence. Donald Trump has no interest in protecting our democracy, he’s only interested in destroying it for his and his corporate polluting friends personal gain. Clearly not satisfied with firing the person overseeing the investigation into his connections with Russia, Trump is expanding his attack on democracy with this waste of taxpayer’s money. The fact is that millions of Americans are having their right to vote suppressed, and this executive order puts our country on a path to continue that frightening trend. Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people -- not Donald Trump, which is exactly why we will continue to grow our movement to protect our democracy.”
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