Nashville Standard

WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) received confirmation from Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen that President Biden’s taxpayer-funded voting initiatives are being implemented in a partisan and unprecedented manner. During a hearing, Senator Hagerty questioned Secretary Allen about the legality of Executive Order 14019, which directs taxpayer dollars to drive voter turnout through outside organizations.

When asked about the authority for such voter mobilization activities, Secretary Allen responded, "I’m not." Senator Hagerty expressed concerns about potential violations, stating, "It seems like this activity actually may very well violate the Hatch Act. It may violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, which prohibits spending funds in a manner that’s not authorized by Congress."

Senator Hagerty highlighted the involvement of organizations like the ACLU and Demos in implementing the voting executive order, questioning their nonpartisan nature. Secretary Allen agreed that these groups do not sound nonpartisan. Senator Hagerty drew a parallel by stating, "It’s like a Republican administration hiring the Heritage Foundation to engage in nonpartisan voter mobilization activities."

Further scrutiny was placed on the Biden Administration's engagement of individuals with partisan backgrounds in voter outreach efforts. Senator Hagerty pointed out an example where a former ACLU and Alliance for Justice employee was presented as a "nonpartisan" poll worker. Secretary Allen acknowledged that such actions do not inspire confidence in the Administration's nonpartisan approach.

In conclusion, Senator Hagerty emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, "I think it’s understandable that many Americans are concerned about these secret taxpayer-funded voter mobilization plans, and the Biden Administration needs to release these plans."