Story highlights Dunlap sued panel over what he claimed was an improper withholding of information about its activities

A federal judge issued an opinion saying the panel should provide him with the documents he requested

(CNN) A judge has ruled in favor of a member of President Donald Trump's voting commission who sued the panel, handing a preliminary victory to a critic who accused the panel of hiding its activities from view.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, a Democratic member of the panel tasked with investigating voter fraud, sued the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity last month in US District Court.

Dunlap argued that the panel should be subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which requires commissions to be "fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented" and that all materials from the commission are made available to its members.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued an opinion Friday night siding largely with Dunlap and saying the panel should provide him with the documents he requested.

In a statement hailing the decision, Dunlap said it was a "vindication" of what he had fought for.

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