DOJ indicts non-citizens in Minnesota for alleged voter fraud
The Justice Department has announced indictments against individuals in Minnesota for suspected voter fraud involving non-citizens. In an appearance on ‘Saturday in America,’ Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter revealed that federal authorities have charged 50 people with voting-related offenses in the last month. Additionally, the DOJ is appealing a ruling from a Florida federal judge who deemed a law that prohibits non-citizen voting unconstitutional.
In a separate development, the Justice Department is threatening legal action against election officials in California unless they take measures to prevent suspected noncitizens from participating in the upcoming midterm elections. A deadline has been established for Thursday as state officials express their dissatisfaction with the demands.
On Tuesday, Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent letters to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan, requesting that they examine a list of potentially ineligible voters within 48 hours. The DOJ instructed the officials to separate ballots from individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified, cautioning that emergency legal measures could follow if the demands were not met by noon Eastern Time on October 15.
A representative from the DOJ mentioned that thousands of potential ineligible foreign nationals have been identified on California’s voter rolls across the state, not only in Los Angeles County.
McCotter clarified, “This should not be controversial, as the criminal statute is clear: only American citizens may vote in federal elections. Noncitizens voting in U.S. elections is a federal crime, and we are urging California to ensure compliance.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, responded during a press conference on Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of using intimidation tactics against voters and alleging unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud.
Bonta refuted the notion of extensive voter fraud, asserting, “There is no widespread preference or fraud problem. It doesn’t exist. It’s a lie—a conspiracy theory.” He also noted that his office is exploring options with the Secretary of State and officials in Los Angeles County.
In a related note, Logan acknowledged that his office had received a password-protected USB drive containing purported voter records, but cybersecurity concerns have prevented them from accessing it. He stated, “We have not accessed the drive because doing so would conflict with established data privacy and information security protocols. We do not consider the device secure and the letter does not specify how many individuals are involved or what information the records contain.”
This ongoing dispute emerges as Californians already begin casting their votes ahead of the November 3 election. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections; however, the DOJ has yet to establish whether the identified individuals have cast illegal ballots.
