WA state refuses to comply with DOJ request to sequester over 400 potential non-citizen ballots

Hobbs claimed the demand was “election interference” and the list of likely non-citizen voters the DOJ provided to his office was “not reliable.” Under US law, it is illegal to knowingly and willfully engage in unlawful voting.

In a letter sent to Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington and First Assistant US Attorney Pete Serrano for the Eastern District of Washington, Hobbs claimed that the DOJ’s list included US citizens, and therefore, was unreliable. Hobbs did specify how many alleged US citizens appeared on the list. No further evidence to back his claim was provided.

“It would be both irresponsible and illegal for election officials to decline to process a registered voter’s ballot,” wrote Hobbs. “The timing of your letter is profoundly disappointing.”

He continued, “The information provided contains several glaring deficiencies. You provide no information about how the information was collected or what sources were used. Nor do you provide any backup documentation supporting your assertions. Given the Department of Justice’s recent acts of election interference in California, Alaska, and now in Washington, it would be particularly inappropriate for Washington to simply assume the Department’s unsupported allegations here are credible.”

On Monday, Floyd and Serrano announced the DOJ’s potential noncitizen voter fraud findings during a press conference. The federal prosecutors called on Washington election officials to segregate ballots cast by more than 400 people who appeared to be illegally registered to vote. Floyd disclosed that these likely noncitizens voted numerous times in state and federal elections, casting over 1500 ballots.

“This is not the full number of non-citizens who have been voting in Washington. This is only the tip of the iceberg. With a small sample that we have collected so far, we are confident that we are looking at thousands of non-citizens who have been voting in Washington,” said Floyd.

The DOJ gave the state a Wednesday deadline to comply and said it would seek emergency relief in federal court for failure to do so.

“We have received the letter from Secretary of State Hobbs. Acting US Attorney Neil Floyd and First Assistant Attorney Pete Serrano of the Eastern District of Washington will take some time to review it and decide next steps,” the Floyd’s office told the Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio KVI 570 in a statement.

During the press briefing, Floyd accused Washington officials of obstructing efforts to determine the full extent of illegal voting by withholding the complete voter database with identifying information. “Washington has refused to share the complete list of registered voters with identifying information,” he said. “Unfortunately, Washington is fighting in court to keep us from getting access to the full database. We may never know the full extent of illegal voting in this state without access to the full database of registered voters.”

According to the federal announcement, many of those identified are lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green card holders. Their legal immigration status allows them to live in the United States but does not make them citizens or eligible to vote in Washington elections.

Prosecutors said investigators heard from green card holders who reported being registered without their knowledge through Washington’s Motor Voter program. Some subsequently received ballots and assumed that meant they were eligible to vote.

The DOJ said that anyone who engages in unlawful voting will be subject to prosecution.