Democrats cheer the end of voter fraud commission

Democrats on Wednesday celebrated the dissolution of a highly controversial panel set up to investigate President Trump’s claims of voter fraud during the 2016 election.

Trump announced Wednesday he was dissolving the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which was created last May to investigate his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2016 election.

A number of Democratic lawmakers praised the decision, deriding the commission as a violation of voters’ rights.

{mosads}Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that “rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense,” Trump signed an order that abolished the panel and turned the matter over to the Department of Homeland Security.

Trump has previously said, without evidence, that millions of illegal votes cost him the popular vote against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The panel met twice, but was bogged down by states’ lack of cooperation and several lawsuits alleging it violated voters’ privacy.

On Wednesday, critics of the panel celebrated Trump’s announcement.

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said the commission got “the ugly death it deserved.”

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) called on the Department of Homeland Security to “end this taxpayer-funded fishing expedition.”

Others railed against the panel as an attempt to “suppress” voters, with some saying the only “fraud” was the commission itself.

Read lawmaker’s responses below:

Fraudulent voter fraud commission is dissolved. The ugly death it deserved.

— Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) January 3, 2018

Thousands of Coloradans cancelled their registrations because they knew this voter fraud commission lacked any objectivity or credibility. @DHSgov should end this taxpayer-funded fishing expedition aimed at validating @POTUS‘s conspiracy theories about the 2016 election. https://t.co/PAZCkw710K

— Michael F. Bennet (@SenBennetCO) January 3, 2018

The Administration’s “commission on election integrity” was always a scheme to suppress certain groups of Americans from exercising their right to vote. Good riddance https://t.co/y02pnX49Tf

— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) January 3, 2018

Trump’s Voter Fraud Commission was an offense, based on a lie, blatantly seeking to suppress votes.

I introduced a bill to disband the commission. I am so glad it is no longer necessary. Now that this step backwards was stopped, let’s restore the Voting Rights Act. https://t.co/S4GiN0FzvA

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 3, 2018 

Correction: White House blames disbanding of *voter suppression* commission on states’ refusal to *violate voters’ privacy* https://t.co/OxEYGjyEgK

— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) January 3, 2018

Saluting all the states that protected voter privacy and real election integrity, driving this fraudulent commission into the trash can. https://t.co/KZ8tGLEkJe

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) January 3, 2018

The only fraud was @realDonaldTrump trying to convince us the election was rigged against him. Reality: he’s the ONLY one who had significant illegal help. This commission ended because of you. You cared and he folded. #StayLoud https://t.co/cTmpl2w1px

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) January 3, 2018

Wondering why our Secretary of State handed over data to this sham commission created to disenfranchise and why our AG didn’t try to stop it??? https://t.co/7B0h8a1UW7

— Dina Titus (@repdinatitus) January 3, 2018