PA GOP Effort To Access Data On 9 Million Voters Challenged

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has asked Commonwealth Court to declare illegal a subpoena by state Senate Republicans for access to voting and personal information of nine million state residents.

The motion seeks to quash the attempt by Republican senators Cris Dush of Jefferson County and Jake Corman of Centre County to first obtain the information, then turn it over to an unidentified third party.

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The GOP-led Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee approved the subpoena last month as part of a "forensic audit" of Pennsylvania election results. Gov. Tom Wolf, Shapiro and other Democrats have criticized the move as an attempt to legitimize the "Big Lie" that former President Donald Trump was cheated out of winning the election.

“Pennsylvanians’ fundamental rights are under attack,” said Shapiro, who on Wednesday launched his gubernatorial candidacy.

“These senators are using their position of power to demand voters’ personal information, all so that they may continue to lie about our elections. It is time for public officials to move past the big lie and to start reminding the public that our elections are accurate, fair, and secure.”

Jason Thompson, the spokesman for the committee said the panel has made it abundantly clear that information security will be one of its highest priorities during the investigation.

"It is disappointing that Attorney General Shapiro is continuing to spread baseless allegations
and false narratives about the security of private information," Thompson said.

Information requested in the subpoena includes lists of all registered voters, their voting activity, whether they voted in person or by mail, any changes in voter registration, driver's license numbers and partial social security numbers. Shapiro's motion asserts that neither Dush nor Corman have cited any evidence suggesting a reason why the information is needed.

The filing also notes the intergovernmental operations panel has not revealed any security measures that would be taken to prevent the unauthorized disclosure or misuse of the the private information.

The Republicans' forensic audit is being attempted despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Pennsylvania.

See the entire motion here.