David Whitley drew widespread criticism after he claimed nearly 100,000 noncitizens were on the voter rolls. It turned out many of those people were eligible to vote.
Embattled Texas Secretary of State David Whitley resigned on Monday after overseeing a botched effort to purge the state’s voter rolls of noncitizens, an effort voting rights advocates criticized as an attack on democracy.
Democrats’ frustrations centered around claims first raised by Whitley and Attorney General Ken Paxton in January that 98,000 noncitizens had potentially registered to vote, and that tens of thousands had illegally cast ballots since 1996. Critics quickly found, however, that many of those names were listed in error and thousands of people were actually naturalized U.S. citizens who were eligible to vote.
Officials said last month that they would end the controversial review of the voting rolls amid multiple federal lawsuits. The state said it would pay $450,000 in legal fees as part of the settlement and that officials would be unable to use any information gathered during the botched inquiry to cancel anyone’s voter registration in the future.
“Working alongside the employees in the secretary of state’s office, county election officials, and representatives of our #1 trading partner, Mexico, has been my distinct honor and privilege,” Whitley wrote in the letter, first obtained by the Austin American-Statesman. “And to have your trust in doing so goes beyond what I ever dreamed of as a kid growing up in a small South Texas community.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas House passes 'Save Chick-fil-A' bill critics say will discriminate against LGBTQ communityThe Texas House passed what's been nicknamed the 'Save Chick-fil-A' bill, which supporters say provides religious protections. But Democrats and critics argue that the legislation would allow discrimination against the state's LGBTQ community
Read more »
‘Save Chick-fil-A’ bill advances in Texas Legislature'Save Chick-fil-A' bill advances in Texas Legislature; proponents say the bill is about “religious freedom” but critics say it would lead to LGBTQ discrimination. - NBCOUT
Read more »
Texas migrant detention center quarantined amid flu outbreak after 16-year-old diesThe move comes one day after a migrant who had been detained at the McAllen facility died. He was diagnosed with the flu.
Read more »
Feds stop processing migrants at Texas border center after suspected flu outbreakU.S. Customs and Border Protection is moving migrants out of a processing center in McAllen, Texas, amid fears that many people there have contracted the flu.
Read more »
12 children rescued after roller coaster stalls at Texas amusement parkA dozen school-aged children were rescued after their train of roller coaster cars stalled at Wonderland Park in Amarillo, Texas.
Read more »
Lawyer: Police shot Texas woman in stomach, chest and face.A private autopsy shows a Houston-area police officer shot a mentally ill woman in the stomach, chest and face when the two struggled during an attempted arrest, a lawyer for the victim's family says.
Read more »
Texas woman uses DNA test kit to reunite with biological father after 52 yearsA woman who was conceived on a passenger train in 1966 found her biological father, a Marine who was on leave from Vietnam, after using a DNA test kit.
Read more »
Texas environmentalists plan lawsuit against Valero for pollutionThree Texas environmental groups notified Valero Energy Corp on Wednesday of pla...
Read more »