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brooklynite

(93,873 posts)
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:25 PM Jul 2021

DOJ drops an anvil on the Cyber Ninjas.....

There have been reports, with respect to some of the post-2020 ballot examinations, of proposals to contact individuals face to face to see whether the individuals were qualified voters who had actually voted. See, e.g., Cyber Ninjas Statement of Work ¶ 5.1 (proposing to select three precincts in a large urban county to collect information from individuals through “a combination of phone calls and physical canvassing”).

This sort of activity raises concerns regarding potential intimidation of voters. For example, when such investigative efforts are directed, or are perceived to be directed, at minority voters or minority communities, they can have a significant intimidating effect on qualified voters that can deter them from seeking to vote in the future. Jurisdictions that authorize or conduct audits must ensure that the way those reviews are conducted has neither the purpose nor the effect of dissuading qualified citizens from participating in the electoral process. If they do not, the Department will act to ensure that all eligible citizens feel safe in exercising their right to register and cast a ballot in future elections.

If jurisdictions have questions about the constraints federal law places on the kinds of post-election audits they can conduct, they should contact the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division. If citizens believe a jurisdiction has violated the Civil Rights Act’s election record retention and preservation requirements, or believe they have been subjected to intimidation, they can use the Civil Rights Division's online complaint form to report their concerns or call (800) 253-3931.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1417796/download
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DOJ drops an anvil on the Cyber Ninjas..... (Original Post) brooklynite Jul 2021 OP
Not really. This is no anvil. It is just another warning. This is the second. Will there be a JohnSJ Jul 2021 #1
So, Merrick Garland isn't doing his job? brooklynite Jul 2021 #2
In this regard I think he is very weak. I don't think he is sending people to investigate the JohnSJ Jul 2021 #4
You don't know. You don't know who he is sending where. Period. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Jul 2021 #18
lol JohnSJ Jul 2021 #19
lol Bernardo de La Paz Jul 2021 #20
Nope, but you made me smile, and I thank-you for that JohnSJ Jul 2021 #21
His job is whatever he defines it to be Effete Snob Jul 2021 #8
No, just no. bucolic_frolic Jul 2021 #23
Oh yeah? Effete Snob Jul 2021 #24
What? Caliman73 Jul 2021 #27
Check the batteries in your sarcasm meter.... AZ8theist Jul 2021 #28
Perhaps so. Sarcasm is difficult to do on an internet forum where we do not know each other. Caliman73 Jul 2021 #32
Perhaps I was not clear Effete Snob Jul 2021 #29
Why list his accomplishments? Caliman73 Jul 2021 #31
It might help to follow threads Effete Snob Jul 2021 #35
Okay. My bad. Caliman73 Jul 2021 #36
I will try to be more clear Effete Snob Jul 2021 #38
Certainly he's doing his job FBaggins Jul 2021 #9
Some anvil. Shit this is ridiculous. triron Jul 2021 #3
Anvil? More like a feather SoonerPride Jul 2021 #5
This does not rise to the level of a sternly worded letter Effete Snob Jul 2021 #10
hahahahah SoonerPride Jul 2021 #11
Lots of silly hyperbole around here lately. Scrivener7 Jul 2021 #6
Exactly. Garland should fix everything right now. That's what I would do! FSogol Jul 2021 #16
What anvil? Effete Snob Jul 2021 #7
For anyone truly familiar with this. These idiots were ready to start knocking on doors PortTack Jul 2021 #12
Didn't pursue it.....YET. Nevilledog Jul 2021 #13
Yep Effete Snob Jul 2021 #15
They're still in possession of the data Effete Snob Jul 2021 #14
not quite the response you expected? Voltaire2 Jul 2021 #17
They have the backing of people who fear that offering Harker Jul 2021 #22
ANVIL???? Traildogbob Jul 2021 #25
ya want fraud , go after the RNC & republican party & trump & the ninja's ! that's fraud ! monkeyman1 Jul 2021 #26
I don't see how exactly this document leads to enforcement action in AZ, yet. Ford_Prefect Jul 2021 #30
They Have Given Two Warnings, Sir The Magistrate Jul 2021 #33
An anvil with the full weight and decisive force of a sparrow's feather. Sounds serious. LanternWaste Jul 2021 #34
I can't wait until Arizona sends whistler162 Jul 2021 #37

JohnSJ

(91,965 posts)
1. Not really. This is no anvil. It is just another warning. This is the second. Will there be a
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:29 PM
Jul 2021

third, fourth, fifth, etc.

JohnSJ

(91,965 posts)
4. In this regard I think he is very weak. I don't think he is sending people to investigate the
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:37 PM
Jul 2021

situation, and I am skeptical if there is any teeth behind this

No, it does not inspire confidence for me. This has been going on for a few months now, and this is the second warning

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
8. His job is whatever he defines it to be
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:45 PM
Jul 2021

If an Attorney General wanted to play Jenga at his or her desk all day, that would be doing the job.

Same was whatever Ben Carson did at HUD for the better part of four years.

There's nobody to tell him what to do, so whatever he decides to do is "his job".

bucolic_frolic

(42,676 posts)
23. No, just no.
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 04:38 PM
Jul 2021

It's not a fiefdom, nor an Alzheimer's day care. It's a job, with duties, responsibilities, accountability, bosses, and professional affiliations and colleagues.

Caliman73

(11,694 posts)
27. What?
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:01 PM
Jul 2021

Ben Carson is most certainly not "doing time". Perhaps he should be, but he is not. He was just named to the board of directors of a prominent home building company in Texas. I'm not sure where you got the information that he is incarcerated.

Caliman73

(11,694 posts)
32. Perhaps so. Sarcasm is difficult to do on an internet forum where we do not know each other.
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:22 PM
Jul 2021

That is why we have the smiley.

There are members of DU with whom I am familiar and know their style of posting. I can say, "oh they are being sarcastic" because I have seen it often enough.

If not, then you need to really get in there and lay it on thick. It is quite possible that Carson could have been indicted for defrauding the government. Many of Trump's appointees were crooks and Carson went through that "Office Furniture" scandal (though he was cleared).

Kind of like the Onion and Borowitz have had to step up their game because the Trump administration was so freakishly corrupt, that normal satire wasn't cutting it anymore.

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
29. Perhaps I was not clear
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:14 PM
Jul 2021

Could you list just a few of his major accomplishments in office?

It may be that cabinet officers can get by with doing very little, as I seem to have missed Carson’s busy agenda of accomplishments.

Caliman73

(11,694 posts)
31. Why list his accomplishments?
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:18 PM
Jul 2021

I am not defending Carson. He was an abysmal HUD Secretary.

I am just telling you that he is not in prison. You said "Is that why Ben Carson is doing time for defrauding the government?" and I responded that he was not. Your statement was either false or it was sarcastic, but not very clear.

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
35. It might help to follow threads
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 06:22 PM
Jul 2021

This subthread is about a demand that Merrick Garland "do his job".

The Attorney General is a cabinet-level appointed position. To a large extent, subject to the president's sole authority to dismiss a cabinet officer, the "job" of a cabinet officer is whatever that officer defines it to be.

Someone else responded by saying that was not a correct view of the degree to which the scope of a cabinet office is within the discretion of the cabinet officer.

I responded by pointing out, in the form of a rhetorical question, that Ben Carson was a cabinet officer who did BUPKIS during his term, other than spend enormous sums of money on decorating his office. There were no negative consequences for his failure to do much of anything at all. Thus, Ben Carson is an illustration of the point that a cabinet officer has wide discretion over whatever they consider their "job" to be.

If you disagree with that point, then you can either (a) point out that Ben Carson did a whole bunch of stuff he was supposed to do as part of his "job" or (b) accept the observation that the do-nothing term of Ben Carson at HUD validates the observation that a cabinet official has broad discretion over what they define the "job" to be.

But it seems that, without any appreciation for the relevant context, you seized upon the observation that: IF cabinet officers had well defined duties constituting their "job", then Ben Carson ought to be in jail for collecting a check for not doing any job at all. This was put in the form of "That's why Ben Carson is doing time" since I believed, perhaps wrongly, that pretty much anyone who pays any attention to politics would know that Ben Carson is not, in fact, in jail.

But, thank you nonetheless for stepping in to inform anyone who might not have noticed that Ben Carson indeed has not been jailed. That was in fact the point of my statement. My assumption would be that pretty much anyone on DU would know that Ben Carson is still at large and wandering the earth doing whatever it is that Ben Carson does. And thus it appears that a cabinet official has a wide latitude not to do much of anything, if that's how they choose to do their "job".

FBaggins

(26,697 posts)
9. Certainly he's doing his job
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:47 PM
Jul 2021

It's just that DOJ isn't in a position to say "we won't allow you to do this"

The closest they can come is to hint at a lawsuit asking the courts to stop them. Which is far from an "anvil".

SoonerPride

(12,286 posts)
5. Anvil? More like a feather
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:37 PM
Jul 2021

How many warnings are they given?

Stop sending sternly worded letters and instead send cease and desist orders and indictments.

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
10. This does not rise to the level of a sternly worded letter
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:48 PM
Jul 2021

Surely, you are not suggesting this should be escalated to the sternly worded letter.

First we should try.... The Comfy Chair!

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
7. What anvil?
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 02:43 PM
Jul 2021

I see no action being taken in relation to the Arizona Fraudit.

This is a .pdf file. Full of words. Great words. Lovely words.

PortTack

(32,606 posts)
12. For anyone truly familiar with this. These idiots were ready to start knocking on doors
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 03:08 PM
Jul 2021

B4 the first letter went out, and they didn’t pursue it. If they don’t take this second notice seriously as they did the first one, I’m sure more measures will be taken by the DOJ.

Nevilledog

(50,687 posts)
13. Didn't pursue it.....YET.
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 03:11 PM
Jul 2021

They just sent a new round of subpoenas to Maricopa, Secretary of State, and Dominion.

They were just talking about doing canvassing last week.

 

Effete Snob

(8,387 posts)
14. They're still in possession of the data
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 03:43 PM
Jul 2021

They are being given time to mine all the personal data they have been provided.

Harker

(13,880 posts)
22. They have the backing of people who fear that offering
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 04:38 PM
Jul 2021

vaccinations or information about them door to door would lead to their guns and bibles being rounded up.

Ford_Prefect

(7,828 posts)
30. I don't see how exactly this document leads to enforcement action in AZ, yet.
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:17 PM
Jul 2021

However, it does seem to forestall any repetition elsewhere by making clear that such is not legal action to take.

The DOJ doesn't mention warrants or evidence in AZ yet. It could be that this is the shot across the bow before action in the field. The shouted "hands up" prior to more efficacious responses by FBI or civil rights division officers.

This whole set of events began while the Senate delayed approval of several key appointments in DOJ. While I and others here have expected more from Justice than we've seen up to now it may be that they needed to get all the legal, evidentiary, and collateral ducks in a row on this in order to have an effective and complete response.

Like Jan 6th there appears to be more going on than meets the eye, and spun out by actors not present or visible to the press. Once the ballots and machines were handed over to Cyber Ninjas and their "staff" they were no longer viable evidence since no chain of evidence could apply. Everything which happened past that point is now subject to possible prosecution. In this case, much like Jan 6th, there are many actors with varying roles who might be revealed by an in-depth investigation of things like who financed this, who approved sending the ballot machines and hard drives out of state, not to mention the more mundane questions about who handled the ballots and why they weren't qualified to do so.

The Magistrate

(95,237 posts)
33. They Have Given Two Warnings, Sir
Wed Jul 28, 2021, 05:29 PM
Jul 2021

The fraudit's course will not change without suit being filed, or arrests executed, whichever the relevant statute allows.

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