NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia NAACP said it will pay nearly $20,000 for public records related to the "Election Integrity Unit" that Attorney General Jason Miyares created in September.
In a letter sent to Miyares' office on Oct. 14, the organization requested all public records about the unit's formation, organization and staffing, activities, and finances.
The organization said it also sought information on the number of instances of voter fraud and so-called “election cheating” in Virginia in recent years.
Miyares' office responded with a $20,000 price tag to comply with the requests, which the Virginia NAACP said it agreed to pay.
The request for records comes after Virginia Democrats and other groups criticized Miyares for creating the unit, arguing he lacks justification and is pandering to those who support former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
13News Now political analyst Quentin Kidd explained the state has a strong track record of secure elections without evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Additionally, earlier in 2022, an audit by the Virginia Department of Elections found the results of the 2021 general election to be accurate.
When announcing the unit, Miyares said it would provide legal advice to the Department of Elections, investigate and prosecute violations of Virginia's election laws, ensure "uniformity and legality" when those laws are applied, and work with law enforcement to ensure "legality and purity" in elections.
Soon after, the Virginia NAACP called on him to disband the unit and create a task force focused on reducing voter suppression, ending voter intimidation and increasing voter registration and participation.
Robert Barnette, the Virginia NAACP's president, said the aim of the records request is to hold the attorney general accountable and ensure that the unit won't interfere with elections or the right to vote.
“The Virginia NAACP will not allow the Attorney General’s Office to escape public scrutiny, and we will not be bullied,” Barnette wrote.
A spokesperson for Miyares, Victoria LaCivita, shared a statement Tuesday emphasizing that the attorney general knows the importance of the right to vote.
"Attorney General Miyares understands how precious a free society is and is passionate that every American has a voice and is guaranteed to be heard at the ballot box," LaCivita wrote in a statement, "Any insinuation otherwise is insulting to the hundreds of public servants who work every day in the Office of Attorney General."
LaCivita accused the Virginia NAACP of attacks that were "offensive, ridiculous and without single shred of proof," adding that the Office of the Attorney General expects an apology.
She also responded to the Virginia NAACP's records request, saying the state's laws require requesters to compensate the state government for time and resources for fulfilling a request.
"We have nothing to hide, and the responsive documents will be provided in a timely manner," LaCivita wrote.