A California senator is digging for more information about recent actions by the Department of Justice over its allegations that scores of noncitizens in the state have received ballotsto vote in the upcoming midterms. This includes whether the White House played a role in a recent lawsuit and why the federal government took action just weeks before Election Day.
It’s the latest development in an ongoing clash between the federal government, which says it believes that over 20,000 people who are “likely noncitizens” were provided a ballot by the state, and California, whose top elections official has said she refuses to disenfranchise thousands of Californians based on “unsupported” and “likely inaccurate” claims.
Sen. Alex Padilla and New York
Rep. Joseph Morelle issued a letter to Trent McCotter, the acting deputy attorney general, saying that the DOJ’s recent actions “raise serious and unprecedented questions about political weaponization” amid the election.
They refer to the DOJ’s letters to the California Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, and the subsequent lawsuit against California in early October.
The DOJ had given California officials a tight deadline to review a list of names believed to be likely noncitizens registered to vote to determine whether any citizens were listed; People whom officials couldn’t independently confirm their citizenship status were to have their ballots pulled aside until that information could be confirmed, as requested by the DOJ.
Two days later, the DOJ took legal action, asking the court to stop California from counting vote-by-mail ballots from likely noncitizens until it determines their citizenship status.
Padilla and Morelle claim the DOJ is attempting to “subvert a free and fair American election” in its recent actions. The letter is dated Monday, Oct. 19 — the same day the DOJ announced charges against 28 people in California who they say are green card holders who’ve committed “various voting and registration crimes, among others.”
What are officials asking from the DOJ?
Padilla and Morelle asked the DOJ to provide various information and materials regarding the recent letters to California officials and the lawsuit. They’ve given McCotter a deadline of 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 — one day before Election Day, the final day people can cast their ballots.
They say that Congress “must determine whether additional legislation is necessary to address the brazen misuse” of the DOJ’s law enforcement “for partisan purposes” to protect U.S. elections.
Padilla and Morelle are requesting information such as:
- Whether the White House played any role in the lawsuit or "direct any aspects of the decision-making" related to the recent letters sent to California elections officials tasking them with reviewing thousands of names of alleged likely noncitizens registered to vote
- Whether private parties provided any data regarding the list of names provided to California
- Why the DOJ took legal action just weeks before the election if the data had been assembled months ago
- Who was involved in the decision to file a lawsuit against California, and whether private parties were consulted with for this
- Methodology and criteria used to create the list of alleged noncitizens registered to vote in California
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California gives DOJ a deadline for info on noncitizen voting claims
