The police and justice apparatus of the Federal Executive department is continuing to make almost-daily new seizures of authorities from Congress, which continues too stunned, or too unaware of what its own powers are, to resist such unconstitutional arrogations of authority.
On Sunday, Jan. 25, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed the State of Minnesota by letter that the “conditions” under which the Federal Executive might eventually withdraw thousands of ICE agents from the state, included the Justice Department’s pre-existing demand that the state allow “Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to access Minnesota’s voter rolls to confirm the state’s voter registration policies comply with federal law.”
Bondi was violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) by, in effect, claiming “pre-clearance” authority over Minnesota elections; the VRA gave DoJ such authority over nine states, not including Minnesota. DoJ has been making this unconstitutional “pre-clearance” demand of dozens of states for many months—hoping to interfere with Congressional elections in November. Minnesota State Secretary Steven Simon refused the request, stating, “Minnesota’s elections are fair, accurate, honest, and secure…. Our office has already provided the Department of Justice a detailed explanation of how we successfully manage and secure our voter registration files.”
