July 2, 2012

WASHINGTON – Congressional Republican attacks on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, says Wisconsin Congresswoman Gwen Moore, may be about more than “Fast and Furious.”

On Thursday the House voted to hold Attorney General Holder in contempt for failing to disclose internal Justice Department documents tied to a House committee investigation into the sting operation on gun running from the United States into Mexico. But according to Congresswoman Moore, the move is a politically motivated response to Holder’s office’s legal challenges to voter suppression laws.

“I totally agree with Nancy Pelosi,” Moore, a Democrat, said, adding that Holder is “being pilloried” to discredit the Department of Justice as it evaluates laws that could change the electoral map in November’s election.

New American Media hosted a teleconference last week that brought together journalists, elected officials and voting-rights advocates who are committed to ensuring that this fall’s high-stakes national elections are both fair and reflective of the will of the people who make up this nation.

Among those who participated were Congressman Keith Ellison from Minnesota, Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Keesha Gaskings from the Brennan Center., all of whom spoke frankly about federal efforts to protect voting rights and the latest developments in restrictive voter ID policies.

NAM’s Zaineb Muhammed listed 10 states — Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin — that have enacted restrictive voter I.D. laws. “These states are home to millions of eligible voters who may not have easy access to the specific government-issued photo identification required by these laws,” Muhammed said.