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Nevilledog

(50,665 posts)
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 12:17 PM Jul 2021

DOJ Is Sending States A Second Warning About Partisan "Audits" Of The 2020 Election





https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/sarahmimms/justice-department-arizona-election-audit

The Justice Department on Wednesday issued a second warning to states considering their own so-called audits of the 2020 election, highlighting federal laws that those efforts may violate.

According to the new guidance, DOJ is “concerned that some jurisdictions conducting [audits] may be using, or proposing to use, procedures that risk violating the Civil Rights Act,” which requires that elections officials retain and preserve federal election materials for 22 months after an election.

While the guidance doesn’t specifically reference Arizona in that section, the Justice Department had previously raised concerns in a May letter that the state’s Republican-led Senate was at risk of violating the act with its audit. The state Senate had subpoenaed 2.1 million ballots from Maricopa County, the state’s largest, and handed them over to an outside contractor called Cyber Ninjas, whose CEO has promoted election conspiracy theories, to look into former president Donald Trump and his supporters’ baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud. That audit is ongoing.

Since DOJ sent that letter warning about the Arizona audit in May, pro-Trump politicians in several other states have pushed for their own audits, including in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. A DOJ official said on a press call Wednesday that the new guidance is meant to tell not just Arizona, but “jurisdictions generally that if they are going to conduct these audits — so-called audits … they have to comply with federal law.”

*snip*




***sigh***
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DOJ Is Sending States A Second Warning About Partisan "Audits" Of The 2020 Election (Original Post) Nevilledog Jul 2021 OP
I can't believe the AZ "audit" complied with federal law, so what's the DOJ going to do? CrispyQ Jul 2021 #1
Here's some more Nevilledog Jul 2021 #2
Thanks for the update! CrispyQ Jul 2021 #5
I think that would be the process. Nevilledog Jul 2021 #7
Oh it didn't. Initech Jul 2021 #4
The Toothpaste Is Out Of The Tube WHITT Jul 2021 #3
Arizona is already way beyond that Bayard Jul 2021 #6
K&R BeckyDem Jul 2021 #8
Great news malaise Jul 2021 #9
Bet they're shaking in their boots and will stop right away (NOT). triron Jul 2021 #10

CrispyQ

(36,225 posts)
1. I can't believe the AZ "audit" complied with federal law, so what's the DOJ going to do?
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 12:23 PM
Jul 2021

If they don't do anything about AZ, what's to stop other states? Another letter?

Nevilledog

(50,665 posts)
2. Here's some more
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 12:31 PM
Jul 2021


Tweet text:
Tierney Sneed
@Tierney_Megan
·
Jul 28, 2021
"The reason we are issuing this guidance is to tell jurisdictions, generally, that we are concerned that if they're going to conduct these audits--these so-called audits of the past elections--they have to comply with federal law," a DOJ official said http://cnn.com/2021/07/28/politics/justice-department-election-audit/index.html

Tierney Sneed
@Tierney_Megan
With two new guidance documents, DOJ is putting state and local officials on notice for how their post-election "audits" and changes to voting rules could run afoul of federal law http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2021/images/07/28/voting.methods.guide.pdf
http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2021/images/07/28/audit.guidance.pdf

Tierney Sneed
@Tierney_Megan
The new DOJ guidance also highlights an under-the-radar memo from February reversing a Trump-era presumption of legality for states that revert back to pre-pandemic election procedures.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/wilkinson-rescinds-barr-election-voting-policies

Justice Department puts states on notice about post-election audits and election law changes
The Justice Department on Wednesday put states and local officials on notice of their federal obligations when conducting post-election audits and dictating the rules for casting ballots.
cnn.com
9:14 AM · Jul 28, 2021

CrispyQ

(36,225 posts)
5. Thanks for the update!
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 01:03 PM
Jul 2021

Looking through the two docs now, but I'm ignorant how this works. If the states pass restrictive laws that violate federal law, then the DOJ sues the state & it goes to court?

Initech

(99,912 posts)
4. Oh it didn't.
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 12:48 PM
Jul 2021

And I think even the residents of Maricopa County are getting fed up with this nonsense. My aunt lives there (and is one of the sane ones) and I get regular updates about the recount. It's absolute madness.

WHITT

(2,868 posts)
3. The Toothpaste Is Out Of The Tube
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 12:44 PM
Jul 2021

with Arizona. Best to wait until they've "finished", then the lawsuits, fines, and criminal charges can commence.

Bayard

(21,802 posts)
6. Arizona is already way beyond that
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 01:23 PM
Jul 2021

And Justice sent them some weak advice letter.

"Raising concerns," is not enough! Put some teeth into it.

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