A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to show more evidence that a new commission tasked with investigating election fraud is complying with public-disclosure laws. The order this morning came as part of a demand by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for limited discovery after the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity failed to release all of the materials it used during its first meeting on July 19. Despite having promised to release all materials before the meeting even occurred, the commission explained in a July 31 opposition brief that it could not do so because certain commission members did not submit their materials in advance.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly skewered attorneys for the commission on this point at a hearing this morning, saying she found it “hard to believe” that commission members would show up to a meeting not fully informed of what they would discuss.
“You didn’t completely live up to your representations,” she said.
Under fire by Kollar-Kotelly about what steps were taken to inform commission members of their obligation to disclose materials under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Justice Department attorney Elizabeth Shapiro apologized immediately.
Full Article: Judge Nails Trump’s Election Commission on Records Handling.