Ashcroft Suggests State Audit is ‘Deep State’ Political Attack
January 25, 2024 6:06AM CST
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks to reporters on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at his Capitol office in Jefferson City, Mo. Ashcroft supported legislation signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson that will require a photo identification to cast a regular ballot. AP Photo/David A. Lieb)
Two Missouri Republican statewide elected leaders are clashing over the results of a state audit.
State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has released an audit of Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office.
Fitzpatrick says Ashcroft’s decision to leave ERIC, the national Electronic Registration Information Center, will cause local election authorities to have less information to find and correct inaccurate voter records.
Ashcroft, who is running for governor, calls the audit “a political opinion in the guise of an audit report.”
According to the audit, Ashcroft did not fully evaluate the benefits received from ERIC prior to terminating the membership, but Ashcroft says his office did for about one year.