Trump DOJ Blocked Nationwide From Threatening Election Officials
Summary
A federal judge in California issued a temporary restraining order barring the DOJ and DHS from certain actions that could pressure election officials during the 2026 midterms. The order followed a lawsuit by labor groups and said the agencies’ conduct was likely to interfere with election administration and disenfranchise eligible voters.Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued the order on Friday.
- The lawsuit accused high-ranking DOJ and DHS officials of intimidating, threatening, or coercing state and local election workers.
- The plaintiffs said federal officials threatened criminal prosecution over how election workers handled ballots and voter records.
- The article says DOJ letters warned election officials about investigations and penalties if they did not preserve records or process ballots the government considered ineligible.
- On October 13, the agencies demanded that California officials set aside ballots associated with about 20,000 registered voters they believed might be noncitizens, according to the order.
- The order temporarily bars the departments from demanding that states remove specific people from voter rolls or treat their ballots differently.
- The order also bars threats of criminal prosecution against election officials and workers for carrying out ballot procedures required by law.
- Judge Thompson said the alleged conduct was likely to violate the Voting Rights Act and constitutional provisions, but the order is not a final ruling on the lawsuit.
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