Attorney General won't rule out DOJ action blocking election certification

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department could intervene to block states from certifying election results in hypothetical 'doomsday' scenarios.

Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to rule out whether the Department of Justice could seek to intervene in states' midterm election certification processes. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he acknowledged there could be extreme scenarios prompting federal action, though he said it was not his intention to 'improperly interfere with elections'.

'Of course there's scenarios we could all come up with, hypothetically — some doomsday scenario, for example,' he told reporters. 'I don't think it's proper to make any kind of conclusory statements about what could happen in the future.' He added that he could not say there were no circumstances under which the DOJ would get involved, but said he was not 'planning my days around the election to be somewhere to not certify'.

The DOJ's role in elections is limited under the Constitution and federal law, which does not specifically authorise the department to challenge ballots or delay a state's certification of election results. Under the Constitution, U.S. elections are run by state and local officials rather than the federal government. The Justice Department is currently pursuing investigations and litigation related to voter eligibility and voter data access across multiple states.

How it is being reported

• Blanche won't rule out DOJ blocking election certification in 'doomsday' scenarioAttorney General Todd Blanche refused to rule out Department of Justice intervention in midterm election certification, citing hypothetical "doomsday" scenarios.Fox News · 23 Oct, 05:53
• Trump’s attorney general won’t rule out DOJ action to stop states from certifying midterms resultsTodd Blanche suggests the Justice Department could intervene in a ‘doomsday’ scenario as federal agents ramp up investigations and prosecutions while voting is already underwayIndependent World · 22 Oct, 21:33

In this story: Todd Blanche · Department of Justice · California

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