Secretary of State Matt Schultz faced tough questions from Democrats at a legislative hearing where lawmakers referred to election night reporting problems as "embarrassing" and asked why he wasn't seeking more money to update technology and hire more staff.
Schultz didn't seek a budget increase at the Thursday hearing, prompting legislators to question how he can improve the election night reporting system without more funding. They also questioned $140,000 he's spending on an investigator focusing on voter fraud.
Democrat Sen. Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls says he lost confidence after election night, when the secretary of state's online reporting system crashed, delaying election results from precincts for hours.
Schultz says he can manage without more funding, and he defended the use of public funds to investigate fraud.
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