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Gregory David Whitley is an American attorney and consultant to the Republican Party who asked to be appointed to the position of Acting Secretary of State of Texas by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He served from December 2018 to May 2019. Whitley's confirmation was marred by his miscalculation calling for the investigation of 95,000 voters he identified as illegal. Republican President Donald Trump used this alleged information to claim widespread illegal voting in the United States. Whitley could not muster enough votes in the Texas Senate to be confirmed and he resigned shortly before their session ended.

Career

Originally from Alice, Texas, Whitley earned his bachelor's degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2004, he began working for Abbott, who was at that time Attorney General of Texas. When Abbott was elected Governor of Texas, he appointed Whitley as Acting Secretary of State to succeed Rolando Pablos, on December 17, 2018.

As Secretary of State preceding the 2020 United States presidential election in Texas, Whitley identified 95,000 voters who he claimed may be noncitizens and sent the names to county election boards in January 2019 for reconsideration and validation that they were indeed eligible to vote. It was found that tens of thousands of the individuals on the list actually were valid voters, and several lawsuits were filed to stop the attempted voter purge. One election official in Fort Bend was quoted that while more than 8,000 voters were on the list to be challenged, only two were actually found. Fred Biery, a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, blocked further removal.

President Trump seized upon Whitley’s report that there was widespread voter fraud in Texas, calling it the "tip of the iceberg". As an appointed position, the Senate Committee on Nominations in the Texas Senate advanced Whitley's re-nomination on a 4–3, party line vote; however, all 12 Democrats in the Texas Senate opposed Whitley's confirmation, which denied him the two-thirds vote required for confirmation. Unable to be re-nominated, Whitley resigned as acting secretary of state on May 27, 2019, the same day he would have been removed from office if not confirmed.

References

1. Fine, Julie (February 25, 2019). "What Happens Next With Acting Texas Secretary of State". KXAS-TV. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
2. Ura, Alexa; Platoff, Emma (February 22, 2019). "All 12 Senate Democrats oppose Texas Secretary of State David Whitley. That's more than enough to block his nomination". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
3. ^ Morris, Allie (May 27, 2019). "Texas secretary of state resigns after botched voter purge". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
4. Ura, Alexa (February 6, 2019). "David Whitley could face a tough confirmation for Texas secretary of state". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
5. Anchondo, Carlos (December 17, 2018). "Gov. Greg Abbott selects David Whitley as new secretary of state". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
6. Acosta, Tim (December 17, 2018). "Alice native David Whitley named new Texas Secretary of State". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
7. Blanchard, Bobby (February 7, 2019). "Watch Texas Secretary of State David Whitley's confirmation hearing". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
8. Ura, Alexa (January 29, 2019). "Texas quietly informs counties that some of the 95,000 voters flagged for citizenship review don't belong on the list, County officials said the number mistakenly flagged is "significant."". texastribune.org.
9. Gonzales, Richard (January 30, 2019). "Federal Judge Orders Texas To End 'Flawed' Effort To ID Noncitizen Voters". NPR. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
10. "Noncitizen voting isn't an issue in federal elections, regardless of conspiracy theories. Here's why". AP News. April 12, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
11. Ellen Cranley (February 16, 2019). "Texas secretary of state apologized for inaccurate claim of 95,000 non-citizen voters that Trump tweeted as evidence of voter fraud". businessinsider.com.
12. Platoff, Emma (February 7, 2019). "Texas Senate panel advances David Whitley's bid for secretary of state". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
13. Ura, Alexa; Platoff, Emma (February 22, 2019). "Texas Democrats have the votes to block Secretary of State David Whitley". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2019.

• Living people
• People from Alice, Texas
• Secretaries of state of Texas
• Texas Republicans
• University of Texas School of Law alumni