True the Vote, a non-partisan election integrity organization, demanded Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings correct statements made about the organization on MSNBC.
“We are shocked at your comments on ‘The Ed Show’ of MSNBC, which you either know not to be true or have done nothing to assure their accuracy. We had higher hopes for you as an otherwise respected Member of Congress.”
The letter goes on to state:
You have accused our organization of committing a crime, of acting in an illegal manner and acting so as to reduce the opportunity of minorities to vote. You have said that our poll watchers illegally cause problems at polling places, all with the desire to cause people to get out of line and not vote. You have said that we have targeted the elderly. …You incorrectly conclude that the activities of True the Vote constitute some secret plot by the Republican Party to cast out unfavorable voters. True the Vote is a non-partisan group, who has reached out any number of times to offer poll watcher training services to Democrats as well as Republicans. We are interested in a fair election, untainted by voter fraud, where voters are alive, registered, who they say they are and vote only once.
The controversy originated from an October 4 letter Rep. Cummings sent to TTV. The letter was written on House Oversight and Government Reform Letterhead demanding information. Cummings, who is a Democrat, has neither subpoena power nor authority on the Oversight committee to demand documents from the organization. His letter demanded TTV turn over documents and training materials used by the group to train poll-watching volunteers.
TTV responded to Cummings request with an offer to meet with him to address his concerns and join an upcoming training session. Cummings would only agree to a meeting only if TTV would turn over requested documents.
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