Yesterday morning, we detailed the ACLU’s lawsuit against the state of Florida for their attempted, illegal purge of as many as 180,000 “potential non-citizens” from the voter rolls, despite the fact that, to date, almost all of the targeted voters have been shown to be both legal citizens and legal voters. (In his coverage, Ernest Canning also offered a nice summarized round-up of Florida’s twelve-year recent history of pulling this crap by illegally removing legal voters from the voting rolls in election after election.)
Later yesterday, Florida filed suit against the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing that the feds are refusing to turn over their database, so that the attempted voter purge might more accurately target actual non-citizens. The state claims they’ve been trying to gain access to that federal database for months — since it is supposedly more accurate than the state’s drivers license database (which legally includes non-citizens, but fails to note many them have become naturalized citizens since getting their drivers license.) The suit argues that the feds have disallowed them from doing so, for some reason.
Now, the real story becomes a bit easier to understand, thanks to a 5-page letter [PDF] released later in the day yesterday from the Dept. of Justice to the State of Florida in response to their previous refusal to halt the illegal voter roll purge.
The new letter explains why FL is currently being denied access to the federal DHS database; details how FL is blatantly violating several federal laws with their attempted purge; requests the state “immediately cease this unlawful conduct”; and, just in case they don’t, notifies them that the DoJ has now “authorized the initiation of an enforcement action against Florida in Federal court.”
In other words, the DoJ is going to court to sue the state of Florida to stop the illegal purge.
I’d go into more details on the above, but I’m scrambling to prepare for tonight’s nationally-syndicated Mike Malloy Show (which I’m guest hosting all week). So hopefully the above will give you the skinny on this maddening attempt at voter suppression by the GOP in the Sunshine State for the moment.
We’ll be speaking more about this on the show tonight, with my guest, the legendary Leon County, FL Supervisor of Election Ion Sancho — the man who was put in charge of the 2000 Presidential Recount (which never happened) in Florida! He’s got quite a few thoughts on all of the above. Don’t miss it! You’ll be able to the show streaming links here at The BRAD BLOG later tonight, if you’re not lucky enough to get the Malloy Show on either SiriusXM ch. 127 or an air station near you..
UPDATE 6/13/12: My interview with Ion Sancho about all of the above, and much more, is now posted here…
Will have to listen – maybe your stream tomorrow morning though, cuz Malloy is delayed ’til midnight here and I am not sure will be by computer for live stream.
Great service, putting these online, by the hour, each generally focused on a topic. Thanks
Color me whatever if you like, but are we really sure this isn’t just another series of nasty-grams that eventually don’t get shoved down the memory hole (tune in to find out!)
The June 11, 2012 five-page letter, referenced by Brad in the article, was submitted by Ass. U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perez to the FL Secretary of State.
Perez makes short work of the FL complaint about being denied access to the Homeland Security database, specifically the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program (SAVE).
Perez notes that the SAVE program works only when unique identifiers, such as alien registration numbers found on immigration related documents, are provided. Eight months ago FL informed the DHS that it does not collect those identifiers.
Homeland Security has been willing to work with FL but FL has been unable to provide the data that is needed to make the SAVE database of any use in the FL GOP perceived need to purge “potential non-citizens.”
Moreover, Perez observed that while the DOJ stands ready to assist in preventing non-citizen voting, it also has an obligation to see that citizens who are eligible to vote are not deprived of their right to do so.
Democrats never seem to get it. What difference does it make to the republicans which are fixing and stealing elections.
Their main goal is to steal it and let the chips fall where they may afterwards.
Look at 2000 , 2004 and their try to steal 2008 and personally I am not sure just how many the republicans really WON in 2010..