The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Wednesday sued the city of Detroit over its deletion of ballot dropbox surveillance footage, despite the committee’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
The committee submitted the FOIA request in August, after it was alerted of a possible election security concern during the primaries. The request asked for footage from Aug. 7 and 8. The city on Aug. 21 said it would turn over the footage, but asked for an extension to secure it.
The city then alerted the RNC on Sept. 16 that the footage was “automatically” deleted because it was after 30 days. The RNC claimed the deletion is a “clear violation” of FOIA, because it had a legal responsibility to protect the footage while processing the records request.
“Deleting drop box surveillance footage while there is a pending FOIA request for it is an assault on transparency,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement. “This breach of trust is exactly what reduces confidence in our elections. We will hold Detroit accountable, as this secrecy has no place in a fair and secure election — Michiganders deserve far better.”