Chicago Tribune: Quigley wants Republicans 'to listen to Sarah Huckabee Sanders' on election security

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By Chicago Tribune staff

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley's push to get the federal government to send states more money for election security put him briefly in agreement, he says, with President Donald Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Sanders was asked Wednesday about Trump and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. She listed off some things she said the White House is doing to deal with it.

"In March 2018, Congress provided the Election Assistance Commission with $380 million in funding for election assistance grants to states. These are steps that we've taken to prevent it from happening," Sanders said. "These are steps that we have taken because we see there is a threat there."

That money was approved back in March, and Quigley has been pushing Republicans to approve the grants for the next fiscal year, too.

"I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but I encourage Republicans to listen to Sarah Huckabee Sanders," Quigley said in a statement. "Even she has acknowledged the common-sense fact that funding for election security grants, which allow states to update and upgrade their outdated election infrastructure, is a positive step forward in preventing foreign meddling."

The Illinois State Board of Elections was hit by Russian hackers last year, resulting in the names, addresses, dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers of about 76,000 voters being compromised. That hack was "very likely" part of special counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of Russian officers with interfering in the 2016 presidential campaign, state election officials said Friday.