U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne said newly declassified documents alleging that China obtained personal information connected to 220 million American voters reinforce the need for stronger election safeguards and closer scrutiny of foreign interference.
Van Duyne discussed the disclosures during an appearance on Let’s Talk Local with Sarah Zubiate Bennett. The Texas Republican said she was not surprised by the allegations because concerns about foreign access to American data and election systems have circulated for years.
“I wanted to be able to say I was surprised, but I mean, we have been talking about this for years,” Van Duyne said.
Declassified documents drive warning
President Donald Trump released the newly declassified material during a July 16 address. The White House said the documents showed that China obtained names, addresses, phone numbers and party affiliations associated with 220 million American voters during the 2020 election cycle.
The administration said intelligence agencies knew about compromises involving at least 18 states but withheld the information from Trump and Congress. The White House did not claim that the alleged access changed the result of an election.
Van Duyne criticized officials and news organizations that dismissed the disclosures before examining the documents.
“Why don’t you at least be educated before you criticize?” she said. “Look at it.”
She said foreign adversaries could combine voter information with healthcare, banking, credit-card and consumer records to create detailed profiles of Americans. Artificial intelligence, she argued, makes large collections of compromised information more useful and potentially more dangerous.
“They can build literally entire models knowing everything about you,” Van Duyne said.
Carrollton case illustrates local risk
Van Duyne also pointed to a Carrollton mail-ballot fraud case as evidence that election safeguards matter.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, former Carrollton mayoral candidate Zul Mohamed pleaded guilty to more than 100 felony counts arising from a 2020 scheme involving forged ballot-by-mail applications and ballots routed to a commercial mailbox he rented using false identification.
Election workers detected suspicious applications and alerted law enforcement. Authorities intercepted the ballots before any fraudulent votes were cast or counted. A jury later sentenced Mohamed to four years in prison and 10 years of probation.
The case, Van Duyne said, undermines assertions that election fraud never occurs.
SAVE America Act remains stalled
Van Duyne used the discussion to renew her support for the SAVE America Act, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and photo identification to vote in most circumstances.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the House passed the measure in February and the Senate voted 51-48 in March to begin debate. The proposal has not secured the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and reach final passage.
Van Duyne said House members were reviewing the declassified material and would continue pressing for the election legislation.
“We are trying to do everything we can,” she said.
She cited polling showing broad support for election-verification measures. A February Harvard CAPS/Harris survey found 71% support for the full SAVE America Act, while 81% favored voter identification and 75% supported proof of citizenship to vote.
Critics of the legislation argue that its documentation requirements could prevent eligible citizens from registering or voting. Supporters say the requirements are necessary to verify eligibility and strengthen confidence in federal elections.
Van Duyne praised Texas for maintaining voter rolls and encouraged other states to adopt stronger verification practices.
“Trust but verify,” she said. “We should only be having American folks who can legally vote voting.”
Provided by Dallas Express
