Metcalfe criticizes Wolf on voter data
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-12, and more than a dozen Republican members of the House's State Government Committee aren't happy with Gov. Tom Wolf's refusal to cooperate with a federal commission looking into voter fraud.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the governor, the legislators chastise Wolf for a letter he sent June 30 to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, rebuffing the group's request for data on Pennsylvania voters, including partial Social Security numbers, voting histories, driver's license numbers and other information.
“Your response deprives Pennsylvania of a seat at the table with a bipartisan Commission that may be helpful in analyzing and addressing many issues regarding election integrity,” the legislators' letter states, in part.
“You have let your desire to say no to a Commission created by the President outweigh your responsibility to do what is best for Pennsylvania.”
Wolf, in rebuffing the Commission's request for voter information, said he has “grave concerns” that the commission, which was formed after President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that millions of people voted illegally in November's presidential election, is a vehicle for voter suppression.
“The right to vote is absolute and I have no confidence that you seek to bolster it,” Wolf stated in his June 30 letter to the commission.
Metcalfe and 15 other Republican members of the House also accused Wolf of failing to protect legitimate voters in Pennsylvania, and cited research they said show voter rolls are “filled with invalid or inaccurate registrations,” and court cases from Philadelphia in which election officials were either charged or pleaded guilty to election fraud in 2015 and 2016.
“Your response makes it appear that your administration has something to hide that may be uncovered if an investigation into voter fraud is conducted,” the letter states, in part.
“We have no confidence that you seek to protect Pennsylvanian voters who are properly exercising their right to vote,” the letter states. “Regardless of political party affiliation or ideology, every patriotic Governor should cooperate to ensure the integrity of our elections.”
