"Five alarm fire!" Justice Department wages war with shock move - Brian Tyler Cohen [View all]
Summary
Democracy Watch episode 435: Justice Department sues states for private voter data
--featuring Marc Elias
This video discusses an urgent threat to election integrity: Trump's Department of Justice is demanding highly sensitive voter data from all 50 states, including Social Security numbers, voting history, party affiliation, addresses, and other personal information. This is as an unprecedented weaponization of the Justice Department against free and fair elections.
Key Points:
The Data Grab:
DOJ has sued 21 states plus DC that refused to comply
Several Republican-led states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio) have already handed over the data
The data includes complete voter histories, personal identifiers, and partisan affiliations
Potential Uses of the Data:
Integration with other government databases to target political opponents and specific groups
Mass voter challenges - creating lists of allegedly "fraudulent" voters to intimidate people from voting or contest election results
Intimidation tactics - sending threatening letters claiming criminal prosecution for lawful voters
The Response:
Attorney Marc Elias's law firm is intervening in 17 of the 18 cases filed so far, defending voters' rights
He emphasizes this represents a "five-alarm fire" for democracy heading into the 2026 elections
The issue is receiving minimal mainstream media coverage despite its significance
Citizen Action Steps:
Contact state legislators and Congress members
Stay informed through outlets like Democracy Docket
Share information to raise awareness
Support legal defense efforts