Judge halts Trump DOJ threats to election officials — SkimNews
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- Judge Trina Thompson ordered the Department of Justice to stop demanding that California election officials set aside ballots from 20,000 voters alleged to be non-citizens, ruling the actions would 'wreak havoc' on election administration.
- Department of Homeland Security officials delivered armed threats to county employees in California, warning of criminal charges if they failed to sequester ballots, prompting legal pushback from civil rights groups.
- Civil rights groups and election worker unions filed a complaint arguing the DOJ’s actions interfered with legally mandated election procedures, leading to the court’s intervention.
- Trump administration sent identical demands to Washington state, instructing officials to halt ballot processing for allegedly non-citizen voters, according to the judge’s order.
- Trump criticized the ruling, reiterating claims of 'rampant' election fraud and offering a $1 million reward for proven cases, despite data showing non-citizen voting is extremely rare.
Why it matters: The injunction blocks federal overreach into state election processes days before the midterms, protecting local officials from criminal intimidation. With the administration targeting ballot counts in multiple states, the ruling preserves the integrity of election administration against politically charged interference backed by unsubstantiated fraud claims.
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