Secretary of State Matt Dunlap says he has been asked to join a Trump administration commission that will look into allegations of voter fraud in states across the nation.
Dunlap has long defended the integrity of Maine’s voting system and elections. And he has been critical of bills that he believes would make it harder to register to vote. So it’s somewhat of a surprise that Dunlap, a Democrat, has agreed to participate.
Dunlap acknowledges some Democratic secretaries of state have advised him not to legitimize what some believe will be a contrived review sanctioned by a White House that has repeatedly made unsupported claims of widespread voter fraud.
But Dunlap views the joining commission a different way.
“If it is a Trojan horse, and it’s a big sham, what sends a stronger message? Criticizing it from within, or criticizing it from without?” he says.
The commission will reportedly be led by Kansas Secretary of State Chris Kobach, who convinced that state’s Legislature to allow him to prosecute voter fraud cases.
Kobach claimed there were over 100 cases of voter fraud. According to the Kansas City Star, he has prosecuted just four cases of double voting. Kobach was unable to prove intent in any of those cases.
