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Watch: RNC vs. Travis Weipert hearing over absentee ballot requests
President Donald Trump's reelection campaign will ask a judge today to invalidate over 65,000 absentee ballot request forms sent out by Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert, arguing Weipert improperly filled out forms that contained voters' personal information.
The Gazette will livestream video of the 2 p.m. hearing on this page
The National Republican senatorial and congressional committee, along with Trump's reelection committee, will ask 6th Judicial District Ian Thornhill to grant a temporary injunction to make Weipert follow provisions of a newly amended state law, which was passed by the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature, and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate' directive on absentee ballot request forms.
Thornhill sided with the Republican committees in the Linn County lawsuit, requiring Auditor Joel Miller to contact voters in writing to inform them he can't accept the prefilled forms and ask them to resubmit a form, in order to receive an absentee ballot. Miller's officer sent out about 50,000 prefilled forms, which will be invalidated.
Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert in front of the sculpture 'The River' by Shirley Wyrick at the Johnson County Administration Building in Iowa City, Iowa, on Monday, Aug. 1, 2016. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
From left, finance director Casey Drew, public works director Jen Winter and fire chief and incident commander Greg Smith confer in the Incident Command center at the Central Fire Station in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Cedar Rapids Fire chief and incident commander Greg Smith works in the Incident Command center at the Central Fire Station in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
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