Department of Homeland Security employees were instructed to access state voter databases in ways a whistleblower alleges violate state law, according to a new report.
The policy signals the Trump administration’s persistence in trying to root out purported voter fraud by any means necessary.
The whistleblower report, released by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), details a protected whistleblower disclosure that “reveals serious allegations of illegal and inappropriate activities” within DHS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
Employees have been asked to access sensitive voter information in state voter databases of people flagged by DHS as potential “unlawful voters,” the report says.
The whistleblower says the process can result in errors involving naturalized U.S. citizens, potentially subjecting them to secondary customs screenings at airports, or criminal referrals to Homeland Security Investigations.
Some states, such as Virginia and Florida, require users signing onto the databases to legally confirm that they are the voter or an expressly authorized representative, meaning federal officers are effectively making false statements to access private records, the report says.
by Axios – Trump’s DHS told workers to make false statements to access voter records, report alleges
