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Kobach says he won't pre-judge voter fraud panel's findings

Posted at 11:16 AM, May 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-19 12:16:08-04

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kris Kobach is preparing to help lead a new presidential commission on election fraud with the certitude that he's found significant evidence of problems in Kansas.

As Kansas secretary of state, he was the first state elections chief to gain a prosecutor's powers.

Kobach said he's not pre-judging what might be happening in other states before the commission appointed by President Trump begins compiling hard data.

In Kansas, he has described the dozens of non-citizens on voter rolls and nine successful prosecutions as evidence of a significant problem.

Voting rights advocates have criticized the commission and Kobach's appointment.

He has been advising Trump for months and said he talks to the White House each week. He is the new commission's vice chairman, with Vice President Mike Pence as the chairman.