The letter contends that the views and actions of Cleta Mitchell, who was deeply enmeshed in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 federal election, are incompatible with the missions of both commissions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 19, 2023) – Free Speech For People and Generation Vote issued a letter today to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights urging it to revoke its November 2021 appointment of Cleta Mitchell to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Board of Advisors. Following up on Free Speech For People’s January 2023 letter, the organizations renewed the call for Mitchell’s dismissal by emphasizing her repeated efforts to undermine voting rights and to promote the false claim of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, as well as her testimony before the congressional January 6th Committee in 2022 where she claimed that no one in the American public has a constitutional right to vote for President of the United States.

The joint letter states: “We urge you to revoke Ms. Mitchell’s appointment and to replace her, for the balance of her term, with a candidate who acknowledges both that the American people have the right to vote for President of the United States and that this right is strengthened when it is freely available to all eligible voters.” 

Since her appointment to the EAC Board, Mitchell has continued to promote false claims of election fraud, to undermine a legitimate, bipartisan program to secure elections, and to advocate for policies that would limit voter access and turnout. While serving as a board member, she has outlined a calculated strategy for limiting voting access for young voters, highlighting the need to curtail voting on college campuses and restrict same-day voter registration.

The new letter from Free Speech For People and Generation Vote specifically argues that Mitchell’s conduct is hostile to the missions of both the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Election Assistance Commission, bodies designed to protect the right to free and fair elections for every American voter. 

You can read the new letter here.

Sign our petition and demand action here.