When Kris Kobach launched his campaign for governor of Kansas, it took no one by surprise that one of his big three issues would be voter fraud. His relentless campaign for voter suppression may have crossed over into some unethical, and potentially illegal territory contend the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights in a filing this week.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (the “Lawyers’ Committee”)respectfully requests that the Office of Special Counsel (“OSC”) investigate Kris Kobach for numerous apparent violations of the Hatch Act.
The Lawyers’ Committee was founded in 1963 and is committed to full and fair enforcement of federal civil rights laws and ensuring equal justice under law for all. The Lawyers’ Committee has been at the forefront of the legal struggle to advance and protect theright to vote, and accordingly it has substantial interest in the recently launched Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (the “Commission”).
Mr. Kobach is a special government employee serving as the Vice Chair of theCommission. He has also announced his candidacy for the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election. Mr. Kobach has repeatedly exploited his Commission role to promote his candidacy
The initial complaint and exhibits can be read here: www.scribd.com/…
Kobach’s campaign offered this official response:
www.kansascity.com/...
“We are certain that no Hatch Act violations have occurred. This is nothing but a bunch of liberal lawyers trying to create a story,” said Samantha Poetter, Kobach’s spokeswoman, in an email.
Regardless of his campaign claims, the Committee for Lawyers seems intent on asking the question. The reasoning is laid out within their claim:
The ethics rules may not categorically bar Mr. Kobach from listing his role on the Commission among other biographical details, but his extraordinarily aggressive promotion of his Commission role—including in soliciting campaign donations—far exceeds any such acceptable use. In that vein, the Lawyers’ Committee requests that the White House assess whether Mr. Kobach’s apparent violations were willful and the appropriate remedial measures if they were. The White House has stated that it seeks to promote respect for the rule of law through the Commission. Nothing would better indicate that the White House means what itsays than taking appropriate disciplinary action against Mr. Kobach for his apparent flagrant violations of the law.