A federal magistrate judge has ordered Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to hand over for review the documents that he took to a meeting with President Trump outlining a strategic plan for the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., will determine whether the documents are relevant to two federal lawsuits seeking to overturn a Kansas law that requires voters to provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, when they register to vote. Kobach, who served on the president’s transition team and was rumored to be under consideration for a role in the administration, met with Trump in November in Bedminster, N.J., and was photographed carrying a stack of papers with headings “DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY” and “KOBACH STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE FIRST 365 DAYS.”
The Homeland Security documents contained a reference to voting rolls that was partially obscured by Kobach’s hand in the photograph. The photograph also showed that the plans included provisions to ask immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries about Sharia Law and to block Syrian refugees from entering the country.
Kobach has been ordered by federal magistrate Judge James O’Hara to turn over those papers for an in camera review by 5 p.m. Thursday. He has also been ordered to provide the court with a draft amendment to the National Voter Registration Act, which plaintiffs’ attorneys contend he has crafted.
Kobach and his staff did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House also did not comment on the possible disclosure of the documents that were shared with the president during the transition.
Full Article: Judge orders Kobach to produce documents shared with Trump | The Wichita Eagle.