Attorney General Todd Blanche would not rule out federal intervention in state election certifications, citing only hypothetical “doomsday” scenarios, Fox News reported.
Speaking to reporters in Virginia on Thursday, Blanche said it was not his intention to “improperly interfere with elections,” but declined to make blanket assurances. “Of course, there’s scenarios that we can all come up with hypothetically, you know, some doomsday scenario,” he said, according to Fox News. “I don’t think it’s proper to make any kind of conclusory statements about what’s going to happen in the future.”
Pressed on whether there were no circumstances for DOJ involvement, Blanche replied, “Of course, I’m not going to say that,” but added, “Am I planning my days around the election to be somewhere to not certify? Of course not, no, not at all,” Fox News reported.
What DOJ can — and can’t — do
Fox News noted that the Justice Department’s role in elections is limited under the Constitution and federal law, focused on safeguarding civil rights and prosecuting election-law violations. Federal law does not specifically authorize DOJ to challenge ballots or delay a state’s certification of election results, and U.S. elections are run by state and local officials.
Legal fights over voter data and eligibility
During a news conference in Norfolk, Blanche was questioned about DOJ litigation seeking to compel states to provide unredacted voter data and to halt counting ballots cast by thousands of voters the federal government argues are likely noncitizens, Fox News reported. Blanche said DOJ was “not trying to create chaos,” adding, “What we’re trying to do is guarantee to the American people that the only people that are voting are people that are eligible to vote,” according to Fox News.
Fox News also wrote that President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed noncitizen voting threatens election integrity, while “studies and prosecutions have found” instances are “extremely rare.”
Democrats’ response
Fox News reported that Sen. Chuck Schumer responded to Blanche’s comments by saying Senate Democrats “have been preparing for this for months and will be ready.”
