Statement on New Lawsuit to Stop Trump’s Illegal Efforts to Federalize Elections and Intimidate Voters

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand, DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene, DGA Chair Andy Beshear, and Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno released the following statement after they filed a lawsuit in the District Court of the District of Columbia to stop Trump’s attempts to intimidate voters ahead of the midterm elections:

“Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to bully state and local election officials into denying ballots to eligible American voters. This is an unacceptable attack on free and fair elections, and we are taking the Trump administration to court to stop it. The Constitution is clear that states run elections, not the president. Trump has no power to decide who is on a state’s voter rolls, who gets a ballot, or whose vote is counted. And federal law forbids the Administration’s intimidation tactics to scare away lawful voters and coerce election officials to restraining access to the franchise. We’re asking the court to immediately block the Trump administration from forcing states to purge eligible voters from the rolls and not count every lawfully cast ballot, under threat of criminal retaliation against election officials. While Trump and the Republicans try to rig the midterms, Democrats are fighting to make sure every lawful voter can cast a ballot and have it counted, free from federal intimidation.”