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The Trump administration has placed California on a 48-hour clock — demanding a review of suspected noncitizen voters or a showdown in court before the midterm elections.
The Justice Department’s ultimatum came in letters Tuesday to Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Dean Logan, the registrar-recorder/county clerk for Los Angeles County. Reuters was first to report on the letters.
Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter wrote that federal officials supplied Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive identifying people they believe are likely noncitizens who were sent mail-in ballots.
A Department of Justice spokesperson confirmed to The California Post that letters were sent to Weber and Logan demanding immediate action to ensure that noncitizens who received ballots do not vote in the upcoming federal election.
“This should not be controversial, as the criminal statute is clear: only American citizens may vote in federal elections. It is a federal crime for noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections, and the DOJ is asking California to ensure that is not occurring,” officials said.
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The letter to Weber threatens to seek emergency court intervention if state officials don’t comply — turning a thumb drive into the latest clash between Washington and the Golden State.
“If you cannot implement this process by then, given the ongoing federal election, the United States will have no choice but to seek emergency relief,” McCotter wrote.
A separate letter delivered to Logan came with the password-protected thumb drive listing suspected noncitizens who federal officials say were sent mail-in ballots.
McCotter demanded a review within 48 hours and instructed officials to hold the questioned ballots while citizenship checks play out.
“For individuals whom you cannot independently confirm citizenship status, we request that you immediately instruct the appropriate elections official to segregate — not cancel — those individuals’ vote-by-mail ballots until their citizenship status can be determined,” he wrote.
Officials for the Secretary of State and Governor’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
The Trump administration has repeatedly portrayed voter fraud and noncitizen voting as widespread, despite studies showing it is rare.
A Reuters investigation found that software glitches and clerical mistakes may have put more than 30,000 noncitizens on voter rolls nationwide since 2000, though it was unclear how many actually voted.
Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, announced 16 new criminal cases Monday involving alleged noncitizen voting or fraudulent registrations.
