WASHINGTON—The Democratic National Committee today launched a commission to combat the Trump administration’s voter fraud misinformation campaign and voter suppression task force. The Commission on Protecting American Democracy from the Trump Administration was created in response to the real threat to democracy posed by President Trump’s sham voter suppression commission.

The commission will work to discredit the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity by debunking the myth of widespread voter fraud in America and demonstrating the difficulty of voting in areas affected by voter suppression. The commission will also highlight and promote best practices for making voting easier and dismantling obstacles to casting a ballot.

Jason Kander, President of Let American Vote and former Missouri Secretary of State will chair the commission with Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) serving as vice-chair. Members of Congress and state and local elected officials also join the commission to offer diverse experience in legislating to protect voting rights and administering fair and accessible elections.

“President Trump’s commission is nothing but a sham to justify the GOP’s voter suppression efforts across the country,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez. “Instead of listening to constituents and working to earn their votes, Republicans would rather deny them their constitutional rights at the ballot box. Our commission will be ready to counter every move that the Trump administration makes to silence eligible voters. We simply cannot trust Trump, Jeff Sessions, or anyone in this administration to protect the integrity of our democracy.”

“When Donald Trump made the false and baseless claim that three to five million illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election, he told one of the biggest lies in presidential history,” said Kander, the president of Let America Vote and the commission's chairman. “While Trump’s misleading claims about voter fraud were probably made to mend his bruised ego after losing the popular vote, he created an opening for Republican politicians to nationalize their efforts to complicate voting and suppress eligible voters. I’m excited to join with the DNC and defend the rights of eligible voters from the Trump administration’s attacks on democracy.”

“When it comes to protecting voting rights for all Americans, we cannot trust the Trump Administration to get the facts right,” said Rep. Sewell. “Time after time, President Trump has chosen to recite baseless ‘voter fraud’ claims rather than taking on real issues like voter suppression. Our Commission will document and report on today’s wave of voter suppression tactics and provide recommendations for strengthening access to the polls for all Americans. One person, one vote is a fundamental principle of our democracy, and I am proud to be part of a Commission that seeks to protect and advance voting rights.”

Members of the Commission on Protecting American Democracy from the Trump Administration are:

Jason Kander (chairman), President, Let America Vote

Rep. Terri Sewell (vice chair), Alabama-07

Sen. Cory Booker, New Jersey

Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas-20

State Rep. Crisanta Duran, Colorado House Speaker

Adrian Fontes, Maricopa County Recorder

Alison Lundergan Grimes, Kentucky Secretary of State 

Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General

Rep. Grace Meng, DNC Vice Chair, New York-06

Rep. Gwen Moore, Wisconsin-04

Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State

State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, DNC Vice Chair, Louisiana

Karl Racine, District of Columbia Attorney General