California leader calls attack on alleged noncitizen voting ‘weaponizing the law’
State attorney general said Trump’s justice department’s directive to verify 20,000 ballots is completely improper California’s attorney general on Saturday rebuked the Trump administration’s efforts to quash alleged noncitizen voting, calling it “politicizing and weaponizing the law”. Rob Bonta, the state’s attorney general, said the justice department acted at Donald Trump’s direction.
Key points
- California's attorney general accused the Justice Department of politicizing and weaponizing the law over noncitizen voting checks.
- Federal prosecutors asked California officials to verify about 20,000 ballots within 48 hours before the midterms.
- Los Angeles officials said a high percentage of people on the list were born in the United States.
California's attorney general, Rob Bonta, on Saturday criticized the Trump administration's push to challenge alleged noncitizen voting, saying the Justice Department was "politicizing and weaponizing the law". Bonta said the department acted at Donald Trump's direction.
Less than two weeks before the midterms, federal prosecutors asked California election officials to verify within 48 hours a list of about 20,000 ballots belonging to suspected noncitizens. Noncitizen voting is extremely rare, but the Justice Department has increased prosecutions of people accused of voting illegally without US citizenship.
Concerns about disenfranchisement
California election personnel have raised concern that the directive could disenfranchise citizens. Los Angeles officials said this week that a "high percentage" of the individuals on the list were born in the United States.
Governor Gavin Newsom posted on social media that the Justice Department sent counties lists of people who never voted and voters from the wrong county. Congressman Pete Aguilar said voter intimidation has no place in democracy.
It is once again the United States Department of Justice politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies, and it is completely improper.
— Rob Bonta
Federal charges and legal fight
The Justice Department also recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulently registering to vote. Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney, said the arrests prove California is mailing ballots to noncitizens and refusing to comply with federal law. The defendants are lawful permanent residents with legal status but not citizenship authorized to vote.
Some state officials took no action on Friday's letters, citing the fast-approaching election, which led to a legal battle with the Justice Department. An appeals court is set to hear the matter on Tuesday.
