In a move civil rights groups denounced as a blatant attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate minorities, spread hysteria about non-existent voter fraud, and suppress turnout, the Justice Department announced on Monday that it is dispatching personnel to “monitor” 35 voting locations in 19 states during Tuesday’s midterms just as President Donald Trump warned in a tweet that any “illegal voting” will be punished with “maximum criminal penalties.”
“This is a shameful, disgraceful, and naked voter suppression attempt intended on breaking people’s spirit and instilling fear in the 11th hour.”
—Kristen Clarke, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law”We condemn the Justice Department’s announcement regarding the deployment of federal observers,” Kristen Clarke, president and CEO of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. “In stark contrast to how these observers have been deployed in the past, Attorney General Jeff Sessions does not have his eyes set on voter suppression and last-minute intimidation but is instead exploiting this moment to push a false narrative about voter fraud.”
“At every turn, this Justice Department has failed to take action to enforce the Voting Rights Act and protect the interests of minority voters. And the latest announcement from DOJ makes clear that this is still the case,” Clarke continued. “This is a Justice Department that has abandoned its mission and lost its way.”
States the Justice Department said it plans to monitor during Tuesday’s midterm elections include Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas, where extremely close and significant races have drawn national attention. In a press release on Monday, the Justice Department provided a full list of counties it plans to watch.
Asked by Buzzfeed reporter Dominic Holden why it chose these particular locations, the Justice Department dodged the question and vaguely cited a “number of factors.”
The Justice Department’s announcement came at almost the same time as Trump warned—for the second time in just a few weeks—that all “illegal voting” will be severely punished.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT