KANSAS CITY — Gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach has been found in contempt of court for not complying with a judge’s orders in a lawsuit over the state’s voter registration rules.
Judge Julie Robinson says Kobach flouted her injunction from 2016 that was designed to halt enforcement of the state’s proof of citizenship law. Robinson says Kobach, currently the Kansas Secretary of State, refused to update language on his office’s website which indicated that new voter applicants may not have that right after the November 2016 elections. Robinson also said Kobach failed to follow through on a promise that postcards would go out telling voters they could indeed vote, even without a birth certificate or other documentation on hand when they registered in accordance with federal law.
Robinson ordered Kobach to pay attorney fees and court costs instead of a fine. The Secretary of State’s Office says it will appeal.
The contempt ruling was part of the larger lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union against Kobach that went to trial last month. The ACLU sued Kobach on behalf of state voters and the League of Women Voters, claiming the state’s requirement that people produce documents like birth certificates or passports to register at motor vehicle offices is illegal because it violates federal laws requiring minimal information to register.
The case has statewide ramifications with Kobach’s run for governor. It also has national implications because Kobach advised President Trump on voter rights matters shortly after Trump was elected.
