Alex Padilla: “I very much appreciate the question.”

The truth is simple: our elections are safe and secure; the widespread voter fraud that Trump has claimed for 10 years does not exist.

We will fight this illegal overreach every step of the way.

This lawsuit has no legal basis or evidence behind it and is nothing more than a blatant abuse of power designed to sow distrust in our elections and threaten Americans’ right to vote.

Still, this incident is a stark reminder of the very real dangers facing those who serve the public and who help administer our elections in the face of increasingly hostile political rhetoric — especially from Donald Trump.