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AP18:124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 27, 2018
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Trump NSC Meeting on Election Security

SACRAMENTO – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla responds to the the White House's statement on President Trump's National Security Council meeting on election security.

"Today, Trump’s convening of the National Security Council for the purposes of discussing foreign interference in our elections, and the White House's subsequent statement, is yet another failure to further secure our elections. President Trump continues to be asleep at the wheel, failing to provide the leadership needed to protect our free and fair elections."

"Trump has had multiple opportunities to send a clear message to Vladimir Putin that the United States will not tolerate foreign interference. He failed to hold Russia accountable in Helsinki and he failed to take firm action today."

"If Trump is truly interested in a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to election security, he must recognize that the President of the United States is a key part of our government. If Trump is serious about protecting our elections from foreign interference, then he should increase funding for election cybersecurity and new voting equipment, appoint a qualified Election Security Coordinator, and take concrete steps to hold the Russian government accountable for their ongoing interference in our elections."

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