May 1, 2008 -- Von Spakovsky Not Vindicated by Supreme Court Voter ID Decision: Statement of J. Gerald Hebert, Campaign Legal Center Executive Director

The recent Supreme Court decision on Indiana's voter ID law in no way vindicates Hans von Spakovsky's disgraceful record of vote suppression and partisanship while at the Department of Justice (DOJ). The controversial Federal Election Commission (FEC) nominee's recent claims are intentionally misleading and factually incorrect.

von Spakovsky's decision to approve a racially discriminatory Georgia voter ID law, later struck down by a federal judge as a "modern day poll tax," is in no way related to the Indiana voter ID decision. The Georgia law was controversial in several respects, and actually required voters to pay a fee in order to get an ID (unlike the Indiana case where the ID was free if you had the right documentation). Further, the Georgia law involved legal claims under the Voting Rights Act which were not a part of the Indiana case. von Spakovsky and his supporters also erroneously claim that the law he approved while at DOJ is still in effect in Georgia when, in fact, it was struck down and replaced by the current law.

von Spakovsky's eleventh-hour attempt to resurrect his nomination is tainted by the same evasive and misleading tactics that he employed while at DOJ and which have rightfully caused a majority of the Senate to oppose his confirmation. These most recent actions, like his previous testimony before the Senate Rules Committee, have further undermined both his credibility and fitness to serve on the FEC.

For more details on von Spakovsky's false claims about the voter ID decision, click here to visit the CLC blog.