Washington Attorney General and DOJ Clash Over Non-Citizen Voter List
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The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington warned that state officials have failed to verify citizenship, while Secretary of State Steve Hobbs angrily dismissed the Justice Department’s request and claimed the list contains major errors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the Department of Justice’s list of 405 alleged non-citizen voters in Washington state shows a serious breakdown by state officials in confirming citizenship, adding that the state “does nothing to confirm citizenship” and is “knowingly sending out ballots to non-citizens.” His comments underscored concerns that Washington’s election system may be exposing the ballot process to abuse.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs responded at a press conference, calling the DOJ’s demand letter “garbage” and “a dumpster fire disguised as a legal document” because it included multiple mistakes, including an incorrect election date. Hobbs said a preliminary review by his office found many individuals on the list were incorrectly flagged as non-citizens, suggesting the federal list may be unreliable and badly assembled.
The DOJ letter, issued Monday, asked Washington to separate ballots from those on the list and exclude them from the upcoming election. Hobbs noted that under the National Voter Registration Act, Washington requires voters to sign an attestation of citizenship when they register, which he said contradicts the DOJ’s claim and demonstrates that the state already has a registration requirement in place.