Pew study author: ‘Zero evidence of fraud’ in 2016 election

The author of a Pew study on voter fraud debunked President Trump’s claim that voter fraud is the reason he lost the popular vote, saying his research found no such thing.

“As I’ve noted before, voting integrity better in this election than ever before. Zero evidence of fraud,” David Becker, the author of a 2012 Pew study on the topic, tweeted Tuesday.

He posted the tweet with a link to a New York Times story detailing how Trump made the false claim again during a meeting with Congressional leaders on Monday night.

As I’ve noted before, voting integrity better in this election than ever before. Zero evidence of fraud. https://t.co/BBS8NVcACB

— David Becker (@beckerdavidj) January 24, 2017

{mosads}At his second official press briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer defended Trump’s latest claims of voter fraud, citing what he said was a 2008 Pew study.

“I think there have been studies; there was one that came out of Pew in 2008 that showed 14 percent of people who have voted were not citizens,” Spicer said. “There are other studies that were presented to him.”

No such study exists, as The Washington Post and Becker pointed out.

@mariaspinella @PressSec I’m aware of no Pew report, including the ones I wrote when I was there, which support any findings of voter fraud

— David Becker (@beckerdavidj) January 24, 2017

Spicer may have been thinking of Pew’s 2012 study, which Becker authored and did not report what Spicer claimed it did. Several reports have noted that Spicer may have been confusing it with a debunked study that falsely claimed that 14 percent of voters did so illegally.

That study was conducted by Old Dominion University professors, and their findings were met with skepticism from a number of researchers, the Post reported.

The 2012 Pew study reported issues of inaccurate voter registrations due to moving or death.

In November, Becker tweeted that he found no voter fraud in this election.

“As primary author of the report the Trump camp cited today, I can confirm that report made no findings re: voter fraud,” Becker tweeted in November.

As primary author of the report the Trump camp cited today, I can confirm that report made no findings re: voter fraud. /1

— David Becker (@beckerdavidj) November 28, 2016

“We found millions of out of date registration records due to people moving or dying, but found no evidence that voter fraud resulted,” Becker tweeted.

We found millions of out of date registration records due to people moving or dying, but found no evidence that voter fraud resulted.

— David Becker (@beckerdavidj) November 28, 2016