January 4, 2018 | WCAX3
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX)—-State officials in Vermont and New Hampshire are reacting to President Donald Trump’s announcement to scrap a controversial voter fraud commission.
Trump formed the commission to investigate the 2016 presidential election, after alleging repeatedly and without evidence that voter fraud cost him the popular vote. He blamed the decision to end the panel on states that have refused to comply with the commission’s demand for voter data.
New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who was heavily criticized for joining the commission, says he is disappointed it has been disbanded. The Democrat said he saw it as a chance to explore why many Americans have lost confidence in the election process.
But critics, including Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, targeted the commission from the outset and was among those that refused to provide voter data. In a statement Thursday, Condos said he was not surprised that the “bogus” commission was shut down, saying there was “zero evidence” to support Trump’s claims of voter fraud.
