The Justice Department once green lit the very election reform law it is now suing Virginia over, a measure aimed at removing noncitizens from the commonwealth’s voter rolls, Fox News Digital has learned.
The DOJ filed suit Oct. 11 in Alexandria federal court, alleging the state, its board of elections and Elections Commissioner Susan Beals violated a federal law by carrying out an executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The order directed municipal and/or state officials to cull names of people who are “unable to verify that they are citizens” to the Department of Motor Vehicles for voter registration purposes.
FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IN NOW ‘STANDARDIZED’ STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY
Youngkin told Fox News Digital the order he issued in August simply followed a rule put in place in 2006 by then-Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine and approved by the DOJ. But with the November election just weeks away, the agency is now saying it violates a provision of the National Voter Registration Act which requires any voter roll maintenance to be completed before the 90-day window prior to an election.
“[W]e now know that the Virginia law was reviewed and expressly approved by the DOJ civil rights division,” Youngkin said. “Now, after being applied for 18 years by both Democrat and Republican governors, with just 25 days before the presidential election, the Biden-Harris DOJ sues Virginia: Ensuring Virginia’s voter rolls do not include non-citizens is constitutional, it’s the law in Virginia and it’s common sense.”
YOUNGKIN: EDUCATION IS THE BEDROCK OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
Youngkin’s order cited…
