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As text messages and emails in which Fox News executives and personalities disparaged the same election lies they peddled on their shows continue to come to light, other figures who made unsubstantiated claims of fraud or abetted efforts to overturn elections have faced accountability this week.
- Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis admitted in a sworn statement to 10 specific “misrepresentations” regarding the 2020 election. The admission came as Ellis was censured by a Colorado judge for having “repeatedly” shared false claims about voter fraud “on national television and on Twitter, undermining the American public’s confidence in the 2020 election.”
- An Arizona judge has ordered sanctions against Mark Finchem, who refused to accept the results after he lost the race for Arizona secretary of state this past fall. Finchem had sued his opponent, Adrian Fontes, and then-Secretary Katie Hobbs, but his suit was tossed in December.
- Meanwhile, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson — who recently has featured prominently in the court filings from the Dominion defamation case — has begun airing his cherry-picked take on the footage from Jan. 6, along with a dose of conspiracy theories about the attack.
But even as those lies have been exposed, the widespread election denial that they have fostered is still infecting the administration of elections in several states.
- A new target of election deniers is the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a data-sharing consortium that more than 30 states use to keep voter rolls updated when people move or pass away.
- On Monday, Florida, Missouri, and West Virginia withdrew from ERIC, with right-wing activists and conservative state officials also pushing Texas to abandon the system.
- Experts have also raised alarm about the multi-state effort by supporters of Trump’s election lies to gain access to election machines and information.
Sunshine Week Starts in a Few Days!
Next week is Sunshine Week, a week that celebrates and promotes access to information and open government across the country. We’re hosting two virtual events to celebrate.
Careers in Government Transparency: Join us on Wednesday, March 15, at 3 p.m. ET for a one-hour, virtual discussion and networking session. Participants will gain a broad understanding of careers in government transparency and have the opportunity to network with peers and professionals in the field. They’ll also learn about where to look for transparency-related jobs and about best practices for applying for jobs. Register here!
FOIA Seminar: On Friday, March 17, at 11 a.m. ET, we’re hosting a virtual FOIA seminar to highlight procedures and best practices — and pitfalls. Learn more about government transparency, accountability, and our state-based requests. Register here.
For a full list of Sunshine Week events hosted by other organizations, check out this calendar.
On the Records
Public Records Victory in Lawsuit Against CDC
American Oversight has reached an important settlement agreement in a lawsuit filed against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the agency’s illegal practice of rejecting valid FOIA requests.
- As part of the settlement, the CDC sent all FOIA staff an instructional email regarding the improper rejection of requests as “overly broad” — a claim the agency used to deny several of American Oversight’s requests related to the pandemic in 2020.
- Following negotiations, the CDC agreed to send the email instructing staff to find requests overly broad “only when appropriate.” Most importantly, the email reminds staff that they should focus primarily on whether the request “reasonably describes” the records sought, not on the volume of records retrieved by a search. Read more here.
Other Stories We're Following
Jan. 6 Investigations
- A startling document predicted Jan. 6. Democrats are missing its other warnings (Politico)
- Republicans launch an investigation into the Jan. 6 committee that examined the riot (NBC News)
- Feds say Proud Boys associates fanned out to facilitate Jan. 6 breach (Politico)
- Mike Pence asks judge to block subpoena for Jan. 6 testimony (CNN)
- Kris Mayes is investigating Trump’s ‘fake electors,’ focusing on threats to election workers (Arizona Mirror)
Voting Rights and Election Denial
- Arizona attorney general is suing Cochise County to stop it from giving the recorder full authority over elections (Arizona Mirror)
- Election bill would make it illegal to knowingly spread false information that impedes voting (Minnesota Reformer)
- Barred from ballots behind bars, freed felons seek voting rights (Christian Science Monitor)
- Trump ‘White House in waiting’ helped develop Ohio voting bill touted as model for states (Georgia Recorder)
- Video offers rare glimpse of police enforcing Arizona’s election laws (Washington Post)
Trump Administration Accountability
- Trump, vowing ‘retribution,’ foretells a second term of spite (New York Times)
- Hope Hicks meets with Manhattan prosecutors as Trump inquiry intensifies (New York Times)
- Inside the simmering feud between Donald Trump and Fox News (Washington Post)
- Trump 2020 lawyer admits misrepresenting stolen election claims (Politico)
Immigration
- U.S. is said to consider reinstating detention of migrant families (New York Times)
- Abbott wants to deny undocumented kids a public education (Texas Observer)
- ‘Border security’ is a financial black hole that will consume us all (Texas Observer)
In the States
- Arkansas Gov. Sanders signs law loosening child labor protections (Washington Post)
- As Trump inquiry continues, Republicans seek oversight of Georgia prosecutors (New York Times)
- Missouri banned police from enforcing federal gun laws. A judge ruled that’s unconstitutional (St. Louis Public Radio)
- Ron DeSantis’ plan to strip First Amendment rights from the press (Vox)
- DeSantis' new Disney World board hints at future controversy (Associated Press)
- The MAGA-fication of North Idaho College (New York Times)
- $7,800 charged to group seeking Richmond police policies (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
- Ex-Ohio House speaker Larry Householder, former Ohio GOP leader Matt Borges found guilty (Columbus Dispatch)
- Closing critical gun background check loophole gains bipartisan support in Texas (ProPublica)
- Texas A&M University System bans diversity statements from job applications (Texas Tribune)
- Uvalde district attorney fights release of public records against wishes of most families (Texas Tribune)
- Louisville police repeatedly violated civil rights, DOJ review finds (Axios)
Attacks on LGBTQ Rights
- Ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors heads to Reynolds’ desk (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
- Florida bills would ban gender studies, limit trans pronouns, erode tenure (Washington Post)
- Alaska drops policy banning discrimination against LGBTQ individuals (ProPublica)
- Inside the secret working group that helped push anti-trans laws across the country (Mother Jones)
Abortion Rights
- Florida GOP lawmakers file bills to ban abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy (Politico)
- California to cut ties with Walgreens over abortion pills sales, Newsom says (Washington Post)
- These Texas DAs refused to prosecute abortion. Republican lawmakers want them stopped (Georgia Public Broadcasting)
- Police are prosecuting abortion seekers using their digital data — and Facebook and Google help them do it (Business Insider)
- Five women who say they were denied abortions sue Texas (Reuters)
National News
- Inside the “private and confidential” conservative group that promises to “crush liberal dominance” (ProPublica)
- DHS has a program gathering domestic intelligence — and virtually no one knows about it (Politico)
- A mile-long line for free food offers a warning as Covid benefits end (Washington Post)
- Struggling families say pandemic food stamps ending at a horrible time (Washington Post)
- White House pitches $1.6 billion plan to combat Covid relief fraud (NBC News)
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