Civil Rights Group: Kobach Using Bogus Voter Fraud Probe To Run For Governor
By ESME CRIBB Published JULY 4, 2017 9:30 AM
A civil rights advocacy group filed a legal complaint against Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) on Monday, accusing him of using his role on President Donald Trumps sketchy voter fraud panel to promote his own gubernatorial candidacy.
The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is asking the Office of Government Ethics and White House counsel to investigate whether Kobach violated the Hatch Act by allegedly leveraging his position as vice chair of the commission to gain an edge in Kansas governors race.
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from doing certain kinds of partisan campaign work during the course of their official duties.
Kristen Clarke, the Lawyers Committees president and executive director, said in a statement that Kobach appears to be using his official role as head of the so-called Election Integrity Commission to promote his candidacy for Governor of Kansas.
We deem the Presidents Election Integrity Commission to be a baseless tool to promote voter suppression and Mr. Kobachs unlawful abuse of his role as head of the Commission for partisan ends only underscores the illegitimacy of the Commission itself, she said.
Among his possible violations, the Lawyers Committee listed Kobachs promotion on Twitter and Facebook of interviews he conducted as a representative of the panel, a section on his campaign website which further highlights Mr. Kobachs role on the Commission and his discussion of his role on the panel during campaign appearances.
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