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EXCLUSIVE: Georgia filed a lawsuit in opposition to the Justice Department Wednesday in an effort to “compel compliance” with its request for information and communications concerning the state’s new election legislation between the DOJ and left-leaning activist teams and lawmakers, saying its failure to reply deprives the general public of knowledge wanted to find out whether or not it’s “colluding or conspiring with exterior entities to hold out a political agenda.”
Fox Information first obtained the state of Georgia’s authorized submitting, led by state Legal professional Normal Christopher Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
GEORGIA FILES FOIA IN DOJ ELECTION SUIT SEEKING COMMUNICATIONS WITH LIBERAL ACTIVIST GROUPS
The go well with, which was filed in U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Columbia, stresses the significance of DOJ information “to reply a query of nationwide significance.”
“To what extent did DOJ coordinate with exterior entities when it determined to convey a lawsuit in opposition to Georgia, however not different states with related voting legal guidelines, below Part 2 of the Voting Rights Act?” the lawsuit states. “The reply to that query will assist make clear the extent to which DOJ is pursuing a clear political agenda in its lawsuit in opposition to Georgia.”
In August, Georgia submitted a FOIA request to the Justice Division, requesting all communications discussing SB 202—the state’s new election legislation—since Nov. 3, 2020, between DOJ officers and an inventory of almost 5 dozen entities and people, together with Stacey Abrams, her group Truthful Combat, Southern Poverty Legislation Middle and the ACLU.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
(AP Picture/Ron Harris)
The FOIA additionally requested communications between DOJ officers and members of Congress or their employees associated to the state’s election legislation, in addition to “all inside steering paperwork” that the Justice Division used to find out when a provision of a state’s election legislation violates the Voting Rights Act.
“By failing to reply to the request, DOJ is depriving Plaintiffs and the general public of significant data wanted to find out whether or not the Authorities is colluding or conspiring with exterior entities to hold out a political agenda,” the lawsuit states.
Raffensperger, in an unique interview with Fox Information, mentioned the state “doesn’t know why the Biden administration is stonewalling” on their request for communications.
“However we expect the individuals need to know who’s pulling the strings behind their politicized lawsuit,” Raffensperger advised Fox Information, noting that the state has been “greater than honest and affected person.”
“It has been over 90 calendar days since our request and so they have been alleged to have one thing again to us inside 20 days,” he mentioned.
“We wish to know what sort of contacts they’ve had with Stacey Abrams and different organizations, and who’s pulling the strings–who is pushing this politicized lawsuit,” Raffensperger mentioned.
The lawsuit comes amid the Justice Division’s federal go well with in opposition to the state of Georgia, alleging that SB 202 violates the Voting Rights Act.
Legal professional Normal Merrick Garland steps away from the rostrum after talking at a information convention on the Justice Division in Washington, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.
(AP Picture/Andrew Harnik)
Georgia’s new legislation requires voter ID for absentee voting moderately than counting on signature matching for verification; limits poll drop containers to at least one per county or one per 100,000 voters; and expands early voting days and standardized early voting hours to a minimal of 9 a.m. to five p.m. and a most of seven a.m. to 7 p.m. The laws additionally barred exterior teams from passing out meals and water to these in line, which Republicans say can be utilized as a way to illegally affect individuals ready to vote.
The legislation additionally handed extra election authority to the GOP-controlled state legislature. It states that the Normal Meeting is to pick out the chair of the state elections board, moderately than the board being chaired by the Georgia secretary of state. It additionally shortens runoffs from 9 weeks to 4.
The state election board may now examine county election boards and has the ability to droop county election superintendents – although the board can solely droop 4 at a time.
The provisions the DOJ are concentrating on embody a ban on authorities entities handing out unsolicited absentee ballots; fines on civic teams, locations of worship and advocacy organizations for distributing follow-up absentee ballots; and shortening absentee poll deadlines to 11 days earlier than Election Day.
Folks examine in as they put together to solid their vote within the Georgia runoff election at C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Middle on Jan. 5, 2021 in Atlanta.
(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos)
Within the newest lawsuit, Georgia defended the election legislation as “affordable, non-discriminatory, and properly inside the mainstream of election legal guidelines throughout the nation.”
RAFFENSPERFER ‘CONFIDENT’ GEORGIA’S ELECTION LAW WILL ‘PREVAIL’
The state says the legislation “streamlines the voting course of by requiring absentee voters to request a poll upfront of the election and to incorporate a Georgia driver’s license or identification card quantity or different identification, which supplies for an goal standards to confirm the identification of the voter.”
The state additionally argues the legislation “streamlines the method by requiring voters to vote of their right precincts,” and ensures that voters are in a position to vote “with out exterior strain, prohibiting anybody from approaching voters according to one thing of worth.” The legislation additionally ensures “for the primary time” that drop containers are “statutorily required” in each county.
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Georgia officers additionally argued that related provisions are included in election legislation in numerous states — together with Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland and Wisconsin.
“But, DOJ has not filed any Voting Rights Act lawsuits in opposition to the opposite states with related election legal guidelines, elevating the chance that DOJ’s lawsuit is a nakedly political motion,” the go well with states.
Raffensperger, on Wednesday, defended the state election legislation as “commonsense election reform measures.”
“We have been singled out and we wish to know why,” he mentioned. “I believe the American individuals do not prefer to see the Justice Division weaponized and politicized in opposition to a specific state.”
The Justice Division didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information’ request for remark.
