Exclusive: EAC commissioner communicated with Cleta Mitchell’s group on proof of citizenship, emails show

By Matt Cohen

U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chairwoman Christy McCormick swearing in in Washington, D.C, in May 2019 before the House Oversight and Reform National Security subcommittee.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chairwoman Christy McCormick swearing in in Washington, D.C, in May 2019 before the House Oversight and Reform National Security subcommittee. (AP Photo: Carolyn Kaster)

President Donald Trump may have dismantled the leadership of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). But new emails shared with Democracy Docket reveal that one of the agency’s then-commissioners last year communicated with a top anti-voting group to try to boost President Donald Trump’s plan to require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

The emails, obtained by the legal group Democracy Forward*, show Christy McCormick, at the time a Republican vice chair of the commission, was regularly in touch with leaders of the Election Integrity Network (EIN) — the anti-voting group started by conservative lawyer and Trump ally Cleta Mitchell — about a public comment period opened by the agency on whether to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form. 

Last October, EIN deputy director Ned Jones emailed McCormick, suggesting that many of the comments the agency had received were fake or manufactured. Jones appeared to be arguing that some of the comments should be discounted.

“One of our data scientists has done a deep analysis of the 134,950 ‘Posted Comments’, and has found that approximately 40,000 are exact multiple duplicates and approximately 90,000 are unique, many with just a slight change from the duplicates,” Jones wrote.

“At some point, it may be very beneficial to have our data scientist brief the commissioners or even staff with his analysis of the comments,” Jones added. “Thanks for all you do for election integrity.”

McCormick didn’t dismiss Jones’ offer, even though such a meeting might have run afoul of federal laws for the nonpartisan election agency. 

“It’s good to know that you have a data scientist analyzing the comments,” McCormick wrote back. “Once we get back to full strength and can have a discussion about it, I will let the others know of your offer.”

“I appreciate all you do as well,” McCormick added.

It’s not clear what, if anything, came from Jones’ offer.

The EAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to its media office. McCormick, who was allowed to resign from the EAC when Trump removed the agency’s leadership in July, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via LinkedIn.

Trump’s first anti-voting order, signed in March 2025, directed the EAC to add the proof of citizenship requirement to the form. After the order was blocked by a federal court, a right-wing legal group founded by Trump aide Stephen Miller petitioned the EAC to move forward with the plan nonetheless, leading it to open the public comment period.

McCormick was previously investigated by the EAC after Democracy Docket exclusively reported on a conspiratorial rant against Democrats that she gave during a panel hosted by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute.

And it’s not the only instance of coordination between the EAC and EIN. Emails obtained by ProPublica in March revealed an email sent by Mitchell in September 2025 to EIN members advertising an “EAC update” by a lawyer for the agency as part of the agenda for an upcoming members call.

Since Trump dismissed the remaining leadership of the EAC, the agency is severely kneecapped in what it can do — including making any changes to the federal voter registration form.

Additional reporting by Jacob Knutson

*Democracy Docket Founder Marc Elias is the chair of Democracy Forward’s board.