California AG Sues Federal Government Over Rushed Ballot Check

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit on Saturday to stop federal prosecutors from forcing the state to complete a ballot audit in just two days. The legal challenge targets a demand from the Department of Justice for election officials to verify the citizenship status of approximately 20,000 voters.

Bonta argued that the administration is using the Department of Justice to attack political opponents rather than follow standard legal procedures. Speaking to MS Now, he described the move as improper, stating it is once again the department politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies. He said the agency was acting at the direction of President Donald Trump.

The dispute centers on a list provided by federal prosecutors to county election officials. The Justice Department requested that counties work with the Department of Homeland Security to quickly verify citizenship for the individuals on the roster. The agency framed the effort as a measure to secure the vote and ensure the most secure election in California history. This action is part of a wider national push by Republicans to investigate alleged voter fraud among noncitizens.

State election personnel warn that the strict timeline could strip eligible citizens of their voting rights. Officials in Los Angeles noted that a high percentage of the people named on the list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the federal effort on social media, calling it an absolute clown show. He claimed the department was desperate to invent widespread fraud and had sent counties lists of people who never voted or voters from the wrong county.

Bonta questioned the basis for the federal list, noting that officials received only names without an explanation of why those specific people were deemed ineligible. He added that if the federal government had such information, the state would be happy to review it, but they provided none. Congressman Pete Aguilar, representing south-west San Bernardino county, wrote that voter intimidation has no place in our democracy.

The Justice Department also recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulently registering to vote. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, said the arrests proved that California was mailing ballots to noncitizens who were refusing to comply with federal law. The defendants are lawful permanent residents who hold legal status in the US but are not citizens eligible to vote.

An appeals court is scheduled to hear the legal fight on Tuesday. The dispute began after some state officials took no action on letters sent Friday, citing the rapidly approaching midterm elections.