Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern
Voter Fraud Commission: Using Government Power to Propagate Election Lies
The commission was predicated on Trump's false claim that he had lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million due to illegal voting. It attempted to collect sensitive voter data including partial Social Security numbers, party affiliation, and voting history from all states. At least eight lawsuits challenged the commission. It found no evidence of widespread voter fraud and was shut down in January 2018; the White House said the work would pass to DHS, but the Justice Department later disclosed in court that no state voter data would be turned over to DHS. Critics documented its primary purpose as political: to validate Trump's fraud claims and build infrastructure for voter suppression.