Kansas Secretary of Kris Kobach was developing federal legislation immediately after the November election to “make clear” that proof of citizenship voter registration requirements – like what Kansas has – would be permitted nationwide. Emails contained in court filings on Friday show that the day after the presidential election Kobach was already preparing changes to the National Voter Registration Act, commonly called the motor voter law, for the future administration of President Donald Trump. Kobach, who announced a bid for Kansas governor in June, began a Nov. 9 email by referencing draft legislation for submission to Congress early in the Trump administration. “I have already started regarding amendments to the NVRA to make clear that proof of citizenship requirements are permitted (based on my ongoing litigation with the ACLU over this), as well as legislation to stop the dozen states that are providing instate tuition to illegal aliens in violation of (federal law),” Kobach wrote.
Kobach was writing to Gene Hamilton, who was part of Trump’s transition team. Hamilton wrote back the next morning to say Kobach needed to get the drafts together “sooner rather than later.”
The emails were attached as an exhibit in an ACLU filing in an ongoing lawsuit brought by the organization against Kobach and Kansas’ requirement that voters provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. The Huffington Post first reported on the emails on Saturday.
In recent months, the lawsuit has focused on an attempt by the ACLU to force disclosure of a document Kobach brought into a post-election meeting with Trump. Kobach was photographed taking the document into the meeting. The photograph showed that the document included a reference to voter rolls. The ACLU said that if Kobach lobbied Trump on changes to the National Voter Registration Act, the documents may contain material relevant to the lawsuit.
Full Article: Emails show Kobach crafting changes to federal voting law after Trump win | The Wichita Eagle.