Democratic group launching legal fund for state officials ahead of election

Democratic secretaries of state on Wednesday launched the Democracy Legal Defense Fund, which they said would support "pro-democracy" Secretaries of State in court if they face “bad- faith” legal challenges to election results this fall.

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) is behind the effort. The group says it is preparing to spend up to $5 million in the interest of their counterparts in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada specifically, according to a report by NBC.

“The right wing is using every tool at their disposal to take this election and election officials across the country are under attack,” Travis Brimm, executive director of DASS, said in a statement.

He added that the group, “isn’t waiting for the crisis” but “preparing” for the storm given efforts by former President Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 elections.

"Democracy Legal Defense Fund will help Democratic Secretaries of State continue to do their jobs of ensuring that the voice of the people is decided at the ballot box, not be judges in courtrooms," the group said in a release.

Battles over the election results moved forward in a host of states in 2020, including Georgia, Arizona and Michigan.