On Wednesday, a federal judge in Los Angeles rejected a request by the Trump administration to prevent California elections officials from counting the ballots of 20,000 voters whose citizenship was questioned by the administration. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter delivered a harsh opinion, stating that the administration’s allegations lacked credibility.
Carter asserted that the intervention sought by the administration would infringe upon numerous federal laws. He highlighted potential chaos in the ongoing midterm election and the risk of disenfranchising legitimate voters. Additionally, he warned of future political interference in elections.
“This request violates longstanding constitutional principles mandating that states have control over their elections,” Carter wrote.
Carter expressed concern that the administration’s request, if granted, could enable either party to disrupt the election process for political ends.
Appointed by President Clinton, Carter emphasized that never before has the federal government tried to force state and local governments to abandon their constitutional election procedures so close to an election. He accused the Trump administration of expecting the court to endorse its position as the sole authority.
“But California and its people are sovereign, too,” Carter wrote.
This decision marked the second time this week that the Trump administration was denied a temporary restraining order against California and Los Angeles County. Earlier, a three-judge panel from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the government’s emergency request.
Carter delivered his ruling after a 3½-hour hearing. Attorneys representing the state, county, and independent voting rights groups opposed the administration’s demands.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the chief federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, represented the Trump administration during the hearing. He did not offer immediate remarks on the ruling. However, he hinted at a possible appeal if the administration’s request to halt the ballot counting was not granted.
This is a developing story and updates will be provided as new information becomes available.