David Whitley (politician)
{{short description|American attorney and consultant}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = David Whitley
|office = Secretary of State of Texas
Acting
|governor = Greg Abbott
|term_start = December 17, 2018
|term_end = May 27, 2019
|predecessor = Rolando Pablos
|successor = Ruth R. Hughs
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Alice, Texas, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|education = University of Texas at Austin (BS, JD)
}}
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.{{cite news |last1=Fine |first1=Julie |title=What Happens Next With Acting Texas Secretary of State |url=https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/HEADLINE-506341251.html |accessdate=February 26, 2019 |publisher=KXAS-TV |date=February 25, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Ura |first1=Alexa |last2=Platoff |first2=Emma |title=All 12 Senate Democrats oppose Texas Secretary of State David Whitley. That's more than enough to block his nomination. |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/22/texas-democrats-have-votes-block-secretary-state-david-whitleys-nomina/ |accessdate=February 26, 2019 |work=The Texas Tribune |date=February 22, 2019}} 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.{{cite news |first=Alexa |last=Ura |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/06/david-whitley-could-face-tough-confirmation-texas-secretary-state/ |title=David Whitley could face a tough confirmation for Texas secretary of state |work=The Texas Tribune |date=February 6, 2019 |accessdate=February 28, 2019}}
Career
Originally from Alice, Texas, Whitley earned his bachelor's degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin.{{cite news |first=Carlos |last=Anchondo |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/17/gov-greg-abbott-selects-david-whitley-new-secretary-state/ |title=Gov. Greg Abbott selects David Whitley as new secretary of state |work=The Texas Tribune |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=January 3, 2019}} 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.{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Acosta |url=https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2018/12/17/alice-native-david-whitley-named-new-texas-secretary-state/2342322002/ |title=Alice native David Whitley named new Texas Secretary of State |work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times |date=December 17, 2018 |accessdate=January 3, 2019}}
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.{{cite news |first=Bobby |last=Blanchard |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/07/watch-texas-secretary-state-david-whitley-face-confirmation-hearing/ |title=Watch Texas Secretary of State David Whitley's confirmation hearing |work=The Texas Tribune |date=February 7, 2019 |accessdate=February 28, 2019}} 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.{{cite news |author=Ura |first=Alexa |date=January 29, 2019 |title=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." |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/01/29/texas-voter-citizenship-list-problems-state-tells-counties/ |publisher=texastribune.org}} Fred Biery, a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, blocked further removal.{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Gonzales |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/27/698802643/federal-judge-orders-texas-to-end-purge-of-98-000-people-from-voter-rolls |title=Federal Judge Orders Texas To End 'Flawed' Effort To ID Noncitizen Voters |publisher=NPR |date=January 30, 2019 |accessdate=February 28, 2019}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-12 |title=Noncitizen voting isn't an issue in federal elections, regardless of conspiracy theories. Here's why |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigrant-voting-noncitizens-elections-explained-cf4c73b336147b5f5d9c2a22b2564994 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=AP News |language=en}}
President Trump seized upon Whitley’s report that there was widespread voter fraud in Texas, calling it the "tip of the iceberg".{{cite news | publisher = businessinsider.com | date = Feb 16, 2019 | title = Texas secretary of state apologized for inaccurate claim of 95,000 non-citizen voters that Trump tweeted as evidence of voter fraud | author = Ellen Cranley | url = https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-secretary-of-state-retracts-figures-on-illegal-voters-2019-2}} 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;{{cite news |first=Emma |last=Platoff |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/28/senate-committee-advances-david-whitleys-nomination-secretary-state/ |title=Texas Senate panel advances David Whitley's bid for secretary of state |work=The Texas Tribune |date=February 7, 2019 |accessdate=February 28, 2019}} however, all 12 Democrats in the Texas Senate opposed Whitley's confirmation, which denied him the two-thirds vote required for confirmation.{{cite news |first1=Alexa |last1=Ura |first2=Emma |last2=Platoff |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/22/texas-democrats-have-votes-block-secretary-state-david-whitleys-nomina/ |title=Texas Democrats have the votes to block Secretary of State David Whitley |work=The Texas Tribune |date=February 22, 2019 |accessdate=February 28, 2019}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Texas-Secretary-of-State-David-Whitley-resigns-13899405.php |title=Texas secretary of state resigns after botched voter purge |work=Houston Chronicle |first=Allie |last=Morris |date=May 27, 2019 |access-date=May 27, 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Rolando Pablos}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of State of Texas
Acting|years=2018–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Joe Esparza
Acting}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley, David}}
Category:People from Alice, Texas
Category:Secretaries of state of Texas