A federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit against the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity on Tuesday.
A three-judge, U.S. Court of Appeals panel ruled that the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a privacy group, lacks standing to sue the Trump commission, co-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The suit attempted to block the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity from collecting voter information like birth dates, party affiliation, and Social Security numbers.
The commission is tasked with investigating voter fraud. In July, Kobach requested the data on behalf of the commission, and a handful of states have refused to meet the request for voter information.
The justices ruled that EPIC isn’t a voter and therefore has only an “abstract social interest” in the committee’s efforts. A string of lawsuits, including one filed by a Democratic member of the committee, has slowed the group’s collection of voter roll data and work.
Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap sued in district court alleging that he was not receiving all of the materials made available to other commission members. A judge sided with Dunlap in an opinion issued last week ordering the commission to turn over documents to Dunlap.