GOP Official Quits Voter Fraud Panel As 41 States Refuse To Hand Over Data

Amid a wave of states refusing requests for personal voter data and a new legal complaint filed against its leader, the Trump administration’s “election integrity” panel saw its first resignation Monday night: Maryland’s Republican deputy secretary of state Luis E. Borunda.

Borunda, who did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for an interview, was appointed to the controversial panel on June 21. Unlike in most U.S. states, however, the Secretary of State’s office in Maryland has nothing to do with registering voters or administering elections. That falls to Maryland’s Attorney General and State Board of Elections, which on Tuesday joined the growing list of states refusing to cooperate with the national voter fraud panel’s demand for a long list of personal voter information, including the Social Security numbers, addresses and party affiliation of millions of citizens.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh (D) railed against the request on Monday, calling it “repugnant.”

I find this request repugnant; appears designed only 2 intimidate voters and 2 indulge the President's fantasy that he won the popular vote.

— Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) July 3, 2017

Repeating a false story of expansive voter fraud, and then creating a commission to fuel that narrative, does not make it any more true.

— Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) July 3, 2017

Frosh added that even if he was inclined to cooperate with the bogus election integrity panel’s work, he was barred from handing over the sensitive information by state law.