Trump DOJ loses again, now 0 for 5 on voter roll cases, as court rejects Rhode Island lawsuit
Democracy Docket • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit demanding Rhode Island’s unredacted voter registration records, marking the agency’s fifth loss with no wins in ongoing cases against states over voter roll access.
- The DOJ, under the Trump administration, has sued 29 states and Washington, D.C. for refusing to provide sensitive voter data, citing the 1960 Civil Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, and Help America Vote Act.
- U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy ruled the DOJ’s demand lacked a legally sufficient basis and purpose under the Civil Rights Act, calling the requests a “fishing expedition” without factual allegations of violations by Rhode Island.
- Despite the DOJ’s attempts to submit new demand letters with more explicit justifications in 13 states, McElroy indicated that even with added facts, the demands would still fail legally due to their improper purpose.
- The DOJ has faced repeated judicial setbacks in similar cases across multiple states, and legal experts have criticized the agency’s aggressive nationwide litigation strategy, though the White House is reportedly considering promoting the Assistant Attorney General overseeing the efforts.
