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Federal Judge Blocks Trump DOJ's Threats Against Election Workers
Confirmed
In Short: A federal judge issued a sweeping order Friday night blocking the Trump administration from threatening or intimidating election officials amid pressure tactics used in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, according to NBC News.
The order came in response to letters sent by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General just days before Election Day, which told officials they must preserve federal election records for 22 months under a decades-old federal law, as reported by Democracy Docket.
The judge's decision cited likely violations of federal voting rights law, according to MS NOW.
The Trump administration has been carrying out a plan to subvert the 2026 midterm elections with a goal of entrenching its power and escaping accountability from voters, according to the Center for American Progress.
The Constitution gives no authority to presidents to control elections; instead, it gives states the primary power—with Congress as a backstop—to conduct free and fair elections, the Center for American Progress noted.
The Justice Department has issued federal grand jury subpoenas to California election officials as part of a criminal investigation into alleged noncitizen voting, ordering three Los Angeles County employees to testify one day after the November 3 midterm elections, Law Commentary reported.
The judge's ruling also bars the Justice Department from demanding local election officials segregate or not count ballots that the federal government deems may have been cast by ineligible voters, as reported by Time.
As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly 33 million people had voted since early voting windows opened in some states over a month ago, according to tracking by the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
Multiple state election offices confirmed to Votebeat that they received identical letters dated Oct. 29 and signed by acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter.
The Trump administration's actions are part of a broader strategy to disrupt and control elections to ensure that they and their allies remain in office, as noted by the Center for American Progress.
The judge's order underscores the importance of independent and trustworthy media outlets in safeguarding elections, as highlighted by The Conversation.
The Trump administration's efforts to shape the outcomes of the midterm elections have prompted concerns that the elections could face unprecedented interference by federal authorities, according to Time.
The Holy See Press Office confirmed on Friday that Pope Leo XIV, an American citizen, has voted in the US midterm elections, according to Vatican News.
What this adds
The judge's order is a significant step in preventing the Trump administration from interfering with the integrity of the midterm elections.
The University of Florida’s Election Lab tracking shows high voter turnout, which could mitigate the impact of the Trump administration's interference efforts.
Background
A federal judge issued a sweeping order Friday night blocking the Trump administration from threatening or intimidating election officials amid pressure tactics used in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The Department of Justice on Thursday issued grand jury subpoenas to local election officials in California as part of its criminal investigation into the state's voter rolls, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
What's confirmed
- The order came in response to letters sent by the Office of the Deputy Attorney General just days before Election Day, which told officials they must preserve federal election records for 22 months under a decades-old federal law, as reported by Democracy Docket.
- The judge's decision cited likely violations of federal voting rights law, according to MS NOW.
- The Trump administration has been carrying out a plan to subvert the 2026 midterm elections with a goal of entrenching its power and escaping accountability from voters, according to the Center for American Progress.
- The Constitution gives no authority to presidents to control elections; instead, it gives states the primary power—with Congress as a backstop—to conduct free and fair elections, the Center for American Progress noted.
- The Justice Department has issued federal grand jury subpoenas to California election officials as part of a criminal investigation into alleged noncitizen voting, ordering three Los Angeles County employees to testify one day after the November 3 midterm elections, Law Commentary reported.
- The judge's ruling also bars the Justice Department from demanding local election officials segregate or not count ballots that the federal government deems may have been cast by ineligible voters, as reported by Time.
- As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly 33 million people had voted since early voting windows opened in some states over a month ago, according to tracking by the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
- Multiple state election offices confirmed to Votebeat that they received identical letters dated Oct. 29 and signed by acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter.
- The Trump administration's actions are part of a broader strategy to disrupt and control elections to ensure that they and their allies remain in office, as noted by the Center for American Progress.
- The judge's order underscores the importance of independent and trustworthy media outlets in safeguarding elections, as highlighted by The Conversation.
- The Trump administration's efforts to shape the outcomes of the midterm elections have prompted concerns that the elections could face unprecedented interference by federal authorities, according to Time.
- The Holy See Press Office confirmed on Friday that Pope Leo XIV, an American citizen, has voted in the US midterm elections, according to Vatican News.
What's still developing
- For decades, political scientists who study backsliding democracies around the world have identified a crucial tactic used by would-be authoritarians: Once they have dismantled traditional checks and balances and weaponized government against their perceived political enemies, they move to disrupt and control elections to ensure that they and their allies remain in office.
- When announcing it, Trump said he would personally decide who is paid.
- In the weeks ahead of the midterms, various cities and states across the country are reporting a notable rise in ICE activity, according to reports gathered by NPR and its member stations.
- As U.S. District Judge David Carter wrote earlier this week, California gets to administer its own elections and decide how it wants to confirm citizenship status.
- Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced he is sending members home from Washington early for their seven-week campaigning recess ahead of the midterm elections, a move that will stave off a vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- President Donald Trump said Monday night that he will no longer use taxpayer funds to pay for a multimillion-dollar pro-Trump ad blitz ahead of the midterm elections, saying his super PAC will now pay for them.
- President Donald Trump, in a campaign rally Monday night in Kansas ahead of next month’s midterm elections, said USDA would provide $8 billion in relief to farmers squeezed by soaring diesel prices.
- Indian authorities on Friday detained Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the satirical youth movement "Cockroach Janta Party", ahead of a new protest in New Delhi, live images from the group showed.
- With half of the world’s population taking part in more than 80 national elections in 2024 – including European elections in June – independent and trustworthy media outlets are more vital than ever, and important steps are being taken to safeguard them.
- “It has just been determined that the Democrats in Alaska illegally searched for, and recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan to run against our distinguished Republican Senator, Dan Sullivan, in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan,” Trump wrote on Wednesday.
- While January 6th showed Americans what one vivid form of election subversion looks like, schemes of that sort rarely announce themselves with the clamor of an insurrection.
- He recently said on social media he would not hit Iran again before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.