The Justice Department on Monday asked the Court for an emergency restraining order against California, requiring the state to immediately set aside the 20,000 ballots sent to non-citizens.
On Friday, the DOJ put California on notice and vowed to prosecute election officials who tabulate unlawful ballots.
“California on Notice: Federal agencies identified over 20,000 suspected noncitizens registered to vote in California who have already been mailed ballots,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said on Friday.
“Under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2, officials who knowingly tabulate unlawful ballots risk aiding and abetting a federal offense. The Justice Department urges the County and the Secretary of State to temporarily segregate the flagged ballots pending citizenship verification or face legal consequences,” Bill Essayli said.
On Monday, the DOJ requested a restraining order to immediately separate the 20,000 ballots.
“Once illegally cast ballots are counted and commingled with lawful votes, the resulting harm may be impossible to remedy. The urgency is heightened because of the fundamental right to vote and to have one’s lawful vote counted without dilution,” the DOJ said in its request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), according to Fox News.
