Trump attacks court after California ballot ruling
Trump renewed his criticism of the courts on October 31 after federal judges rejected the Justice Department’s effort to separate roughly 20,000 California ballots associated with voter registrations the administration says may belong to noncitizens. In a Truth Social post, he praised Los Angeles prosecutor Bill Essayli and claimed the effort had uncovered many illegal votes, potentially far more than 20,000. He vowed to continue the administration’s election-integrity fight.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the government’s emergency request, saying he could not consider its list-making method trustworthy. He also warned that pulling the ballots apart might interfere with the election and strip eligible voters of their votes. A 2-1 appeals court ruling upheld the rejection, finding no workable method to keep the contested ballots apart without risking disruption to election operations. One judge dissented.
The Justice Department had sought to have the ballots held aside until voters’ citizenship could be verified. It sued after California’s chief elections official, Shirley Weber, and Dean Logan, the registrar-recorder for Los Angeles County, declined to review the names within the federal government’s requested timeframe. The administration says it found over 20,000 registrations in California that likely belonged to noncitizens.
Trump likened the decision to the Supreme Court’s decision not to consider a case contesting the 2020 election. Texas brought that case, but the court concluded the state lacked standing; Trump had sought to join it. The administration’s California election dispute comes days before the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump also attacked the Senate’s blue-slip tradition, which can allow home-state senators to block U.S. attorney nominees. A federal judge ruled that Essayli was serving as a U.S. attorney in name only and without lawful authority, but delayed the order while the government seeks a stay. Essayli has said he will challenge the ruling.
Trump Targets Courts After Judges Reject Ballot Seizure Bid
Trump is again casting a court defeat as evidence of election wrongdoing, even though judges rejected his administration’s attempt to remove about 20,000 California ballots from the count. On October 31, he praised Los Angeles prosecutor Bill Essayli and repeated claims that the effort had uncovered illegal votes, while promising to continue the fight.
The courts’ concern was the potential harm to voters and election administration. Judge David O. Carter said the government’s method for assembling its list lacked credibility and cautioned that keeping ballots apart might interfere with the election and deprive eligible voters of their vote. A 2-1 appeals court decision upheld his ruling, finding no workable way to keep the ballots apart without risking disruption. One judge dissented.
The Justice Department says it found over 20,000 registrations held by likely noncitizens and sought to keep their ballots aside until citizenship could be verified. California election officials Shirley Weber and Dean Logan declined to review the names on the federal government’s requested schedule. The ruling leaves the administration’s demand rejected as the November 3 midterms approach.
Trump also cited the Supreme Court’s treatment of the 2020 election. The court rejected a case brought by Texas because the state had no standing; Trump had asked to join it. His effort to portray that outcome as a personal judicial rejection does not change what the court decided.
Trump’s attack on the Senate blue-slip tradition comes as a judge has found Essayli was acting as a U.S. attorney without lawful appointment. The order is delayed while the government seeks a stay, and Essayli has vowed to challenge the ruling.
Courts Block Effort to Check Disputed California Voter List
A federal court has blocked the administration’s effort to set apart ballots linked to more than 20,000 California registrations it says may belong to noncitizens. President Donald Trump criticized the decision on October 31, praised Los Angeles prosecutor Bill Essayli, and vowed to keep pressing the election-integrity fight.
The administration argued that the ballots should be held aside until voters’ citizenship could be verified. California’s elections chief, Shirley Weber, and Los Angeles County’s registrar-recorder, Dean Logan, declined to review the names within the federal government’s requested timeframe. Judge David O. Carter rejected the emergency request, and a 2-1 appeals ruling upheld him. One appeals judge dissented, while the majority said there was no practical way to set the ballots apart without putting election operations at risk.
The dispute pits the administration’s stated concern about preventing noncitizens from voting against the court’s warning that eligible voters could be disenfranchised. Carter also expressed doubts about the reliability of the government’s method for assembling its list. The court’s ruling means the requested ballot hold is not available as a remedy just days before the November 3 midterms.
Trump likened the setback to the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear a 2020 election case. Texas brought that lawsuit, but the court determined the state lacked standing; Trump had sought to join it.
Trump also criticized the Senate blue-slip tradition, which can give home-state senators a role in blocking U.S. attorney nominees. A judge has ruled Essayli held the position of U.S. attorney without lawful authority, though the order is delayed while the government seeks a stay. Essayli plans to challenge the ruling.
Reported by Raw Story, New York Post.
