'Go Jump in the Gulf,' Miss. Tells Trump Commission

States resisting White House request for voter data
By Linda Hervieux,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 1, 2017 7:45 AM CDT
'Go Jump in the Gulf,' Miss. Tells Trump Commission
Delbert Hosemann's diss was making the rounds on Twitter.   (Twitter)

More states are pushing back against a Trump administration request for personal voter information, with Mississippi's secretary of state saying the voting-fraud commission can "go jump in the Gulf of Mexico," Mediaite reports. Delbert Hosemann said on Friday that his office had not yet received a letter from Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who with VP Mike Pence is leading the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Noting that Mississippi has previously fought in federal court to protect voters' privacy, Hosemann used colorful language to signal his reply, adding, "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our State’s right to protect the privacy of our citizens." At least 27 states have refused or expressed reservations about turning over what Kobach calls "publicly available voter roll data," per CNN.

They include Pence's home state of Indiana, where Secretary of State Connie Lawson tweeted that state law prevents the release of anything more than a voter's name, address, and congressional delegation. Kobach's letter asked for information that could include registered voters' birth dates, party registration, voting history, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. Even Kobach backtracked on Friday, saying he won't share his voters' Social Security numbers "at this time," per the Kansas City Star. Other states were adamantly opposed. "I have no intention of honoring this request," said Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, per the Washington Post. He said the commission was based on "the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November." Trump has cast doubt on Hillary Clinton's popular-vote victory by citing massive fraud, without evidence. (More voter fraud stories.)

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