U.S. President Donald Trump's commission to investigate possible election fraud on Monday put a freeze on its effort to collect sensitive voter data from states in the face of growing legal challenges.
In an email, the panel's designated officer, Andrew Kossack, asked state elections officers to "hold on submitting any data," the commission said in court filings.
Several state elections officials confirmed receiving a letter from the panel stating that it would provide further instructions after a federal judge had ruled on a complaint filed by a watchdog group, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which is seeking a temporary restraining order.
Earlier on Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, alleging violations of federal law requiring transparent government.
The bipartisan panel, led by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, asked the 50 U.S. states for a host of voter data, including birth dates and the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers.
Most U.S. states have rejected full compliance, which many called unnecessary and a violation of privacy.
“This has been a misadventure from the get-go," Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin, who had refused to give the commission any data, said by phone.