Governor Abbott appoints Trump lawyer who challenged 2020 election results as new Texas Secretary of State
Today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott continued his attack on voting rights and our democratic elections by appointing Fort Worth attorney John Scott as the new Texas Secretary of State. Scott represented former President Trump in a lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania.
Governor Abbott’s appointment of John Scott continues the Texas GOP’s assault on voting rights. This past summer, the Republican-led legislature passed SB1, one of the most dangerous and un-American restrictive voter laws nationwide. The new law bans drive-in and 24 hour voting–which at least 127,000 voters used in the 2020 election; sets new, burdensome requirements for absentee voting; restricts campaign activities used to encourage people to vote; gives more power to partisan poll watchers; and puts harsh penalties on the patriotic Americans who work to run our elections.
“Governor Abbott’s new Secretary of State appointment is dangerous because he’s putting someone who tried to overturn 2020 election results and undermine our democracy in charge of our elections. How can Texans have trust in their elections when their top election official has worked to sabotage free and fair elections?” said Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United and Let America Vote Action Fund. “The relentless attack on voting rights and our elections by Republicans in Texas and across the country demands action by Congress. The U.S. Senate must quickly pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and not let procedures or loopholes stand in the way of protecting our democracy.”
The Freedom to Vote Act is a commonsense compromise that protects the freedom to vote for all Americans, stops partisan gerrymandering, ends dark money so that billionaires can’t buy elections, and protects against efforts to sabotage our elections. The bill would protect local election administrators from harassment and ensure they can’t be removed from their job by partisan lawmakers who want to use these positions to rig our elections. It also sets important guidelines for election observers to reduce the potential for harassment and frivolous election challenges, sets national standards for post election audits, and requires states to have voter-verified paper ballots.
Yesterday, Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the Freedom to Vote Act. This was the fifth time Republicans blocked voting rights and voter empowerment legislation this year. After Senate Republicans filibustered the bill, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called out Senate Republicans for implicitly endorsing the new restrictive voter laws and election sabotage efforts being pushed in states across the country.
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