Chairwoman Lofgren Re-Requests Documents from EAC

Dear Chair Davidson:

I have received your letter of April 30 responding to my request for documents relating to actions of the Election Assistance Commission. First, I have to say that I was rather startled by the assertion that you had not received my request before April 27, as it was both faxed and e-mailed to your offices on April 23. Considering your own reliance on fax transmission alone to convey your April 30 letter, I have to recommend that you replace your support staff if they failed to give you my Monday transmission before Friday.

Apart from these details of communication, I am writing to restate the subcommittee’s desire to review the EAC documents outlined in my letter. The pendency of the Inspector General’s review does not deter our interest. If, in fact, you are collecting the same materials to provide to the Inspector General, then it should simplify your document collection efforts for the subcommittee.

You expressed some confusion regarding the subcommittee’s request for materials related to application of administrative law to the EAC’s activities. We are seeking materials within the Commission’s files, whether produced by the Commission or by others, that relate to the application of federal administrative laws to the Commission’s proceedings generally, or to the Commission’s action on these two specific projects. These materials will assist us in reviewing the Commission’s understanding of its obligations under these laws.

I enclose another copy of my April 23 letter. Please provide copies of the materials requested therein to the subcommittee offices at 1309 Longworth House Office Building by close of business on Wednesday, May 9. Of course, since the Inspector General’s report has not yet been completed, we will not expect to receive that yet, but we do ask that you forward it promptly upon its completion. If we do not receive the remaining materials by May 9, or some reasonable explanation of the delay and proposed schedule for transmission, I will be forced to seek subpoena authority from the full Committee.

Sincerely,
Zoe Lofgren
Chair

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Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her seventh term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County . She serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She also Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the House of Representatives from California .