Trump's Justice Department seeks voter rolls from Michigan, a key battleground
Donald Trump
Election security
US electionsFacebookTweetLink
Follow
President Donald Trump's Justice Department is asking the top election official in the key battleground state of Michigan for access to voter registration records and demanding information about its efforts to kick ineligible voters off the rolls.
The department's outreach to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, in the form of a letter her office received Monday from two lawyers in DOJ's civil rights division, is the latest development in the Trump administration's effort to gather data on voters around the country.
Officials in multiple states, including battlegrounds Arizona and Wisconsin have reported receiving information requests from the DOJ in recent weeks. The moves have unsettled some election officials who have faced threats and harassment recent years as conspiracy theories about election fraud have ballooned.
Michigan, a perennial swing state, is home to a closely watched US Senate race next year to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and several battleground US House contests. Michiganders also will choose a new governor in 2026 to replace the state's term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a CNN inquiry Wednesday. Benson spokesperson Angela Benander said agency officials are 'still reviewing' the DOJ's request.
Trump reclaimed Michigan last year after losing it in the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. After his 2020 loss, Trump allies fueled baseless conspiracies about massive voter fraud in deep-blue Detroit and claims that rigged voting machines had manipulated results in some rural counties.
Benson, who has vocally defended the integrity of elections in the state, is among the Democratic candidates running for governor next year.
Monday's letter asked Benson for a range of information, including providing an electronic copy of the state's 'computerized statewide voter registration list' and spelling out steps for removing ineligible voters. It demanded the information within 14 days.
Separately, Benson's office also received an email earlier this month from the Justice Department's criminal division, seeking a 'potential information-sharing agreement' on people who may have committed election fraud in the state, according to a copy shared with CNN.
Benander said state officials have not yet responded to that inquiry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump lands in Scotland to visit his golf resorts ahead of Starmer talks
Donald Trump called UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer a 'good man', as he landed in Scotland where he will spend the weekend golfing at his two luxury resorts as part of a four-day visit. The US president was greeted by thousands of people hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he landed at Glasgow Prestwick airport in Ayrshire just before 8.30pm. Mr Trump was met by Scottish secretary Ian Murray as he walked off Air Force One at Prestwick. The pair could be seen shaking hands at the bottom of the aircraft stairs before Mr Trump walked across to a group of journalists to answer questions before leaving in his armoured car known as The Beast. Speaking to reporters at Prestwick airport, Mr Trump described Sir Keir as 'a good man' and confirmed they will be meeting later. 'I like your prime minister, he's slightly more liberal than I am – as you probably heard – but he's a good man. He got a trade deal done. 'You know, they've been working on this deal for 12 years, he got it done – that's a good deal, it's a good deal for the UK.' Mr Trump is set to start his at his golf club at Turnberry before heading to his second property in Aberdeenshire, where he will open a new course. On Sunday, Mr Trump is due to meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade and on Monday, he will travel to Trump International Links Aberdeen accompanied by Sir Keir. Asked by reporters at Prestwick for his advice to European leaders on reducing immigration, the US president said European countries need to 'get your act together' on migration. He said: 'I say two things to Europe: Stop the windmills. You're ruining your countries. I really mean it, it's so sad. 'You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds, and if they're stuck in the ocean, ruining your oceans. 'Stop the windmills, and also, I mean, there's a couple of things I could say, but on immigration, you'd better get your act together or you're not going to have Europe anymore.' Mr Trump also claimed that illegal migration was an 'invasion' which was 'killing Europe'. He added: 'Last month, we [the United States] had nobody entering our country. Nobody. Shut it down. And we took out a lot of bad people that got there with [former US president Joe] Biden. 'Biden was a total stiff, and what he allowed to happen… but you're allowing it to happen to your countries, and you've got to stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe; many countries in Europe. 'Some people, some leaders, have not let it happen, and they're not getting the proper credit they should. I could name them to you right now, but I'm not going to embarrass the other ones. 'But stop: this immigration is killing Europe.' The US president's motorcade – which contained more than two dozen vehicles – entered his Turnberry golf resort at around 9.30pm, flanked by Police Scotland vehicles and ambulance crews. Mr Trump's vehicle passed a small group of protesters as he arrived at his Ayrshire golf course. Protests are planned in Scotland on Saturday against the US president's visit. The Stop Trump Coalition is organising events in Aberdeen in the city centre and outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday at midday. There are also expected to be protests near Turnberry and Menie, where Mr Trump is expected to open a new 18-hole golf course. The new course will be named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, who was born on the Isle of Lewis.
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Plumber Steps in to Help Grandmother Being Attacked by Swarm of Bees: 'I Knew I Had to Do Something'
"I knew that's somebody's grandma, and like kind of got a flashback of my grandma," the plumber said A San Diego-area grandmother is recovering after she was attacked by dozens of bees — and her family is thanking a local plumber who helped rescue her from the swarm. Fire officials in Santee, Calif., received a call at around 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, July 24, asking for medical assistance for a woman in her 50s named Juana, who had been swarmed by around 100 bees as she was napping outdoors, according to FOX 5 San Diego. Kyle Ritchie, Juana's grandson-in-law, told the outlet that the bees had been forming a clump on a tree outside his home, and his mother-in-law was the first person to be attacked as she was taking out the garbage. When Ritchie's wife's mother came back inside to get away from the bees, they realized that Juana was still outside. "They wanted to check on my wife's grandma because she was taking a nap in the yard, and we came out and she was covered in bees," Ritchie recalled, sharing that they grabbed the raid and poured rubbing alcohol on themselves. At that moment, Diosdado San Roque, a plumber with Happy Plumbing, and his work partner drove past — and quickly noticed that something was wrong. San Roque told FOX that their truck soon became covered in bees, and they noticed Juana standing in the street, leaning up against a car for support. "She spoke to me in Spanish, saying she was about to faint," San Roque said. The grandmother then collapsed, and San Roque launched into action, catching her head before it hit the ground. As he tried to drag her away from the bees, the stinging got worse. "I was just trying to wipe all the bees off of her, but once I started doing that, they came at me," he said. Video footage from the truck's dashcam shows San Roque spraying a fire extinguisher over them in an attempt to get rid of the bees, but he said he was still stung at least 20-30 times. "I was trying to take the bees my way and get it off the lady, but once I did that, it got into our cabin," he said. "The worst thing was just wishing that you could do more to help, especially since my wife's grandma was just lying in the street helpless and we couldn't do much," Ritchie added. The Santee Fire Department eventually arrived in a helicopter, and used the strong winds to disperse the bees. Juana was then treated with epinephrine and Benadryl, and taken to a local hospital with a severe reaction, as Ritchie shared that she had "hives all over her body and her throat was closing up." Medics treated San Roque and Ritchie at the scene. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are a number of ways to stay safe around bees, including staying away from honey bee colonies, wearing appropriate clothing while spending an extended period of time in the wilderness and avoiding wearing scents like perfume or cologne while spending time outdoors. If you are ever swarmed by bees, the department recommends that you run away quickly towards an enclosed shelter, not swatting at the bees, removing all stingers from your body once indoors by scraping them with a fingernail, credit card or other dull surface. As for Ritchie and his family, they are now thanking San Roque for risking his own safety for a stranger. 'I knew that's somebody's grandma, and, like, kind of got a flashback of my grandma, and I knew I had to do something about it,' the plumber added. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's EPA Reportedly Wants to Remove Limits on Tailpipe Emissions
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." A new draft plan is reportedly going to unwind the EPA's ruling that greenhouse gases are a public health issue. If passed, the federal agency's ability to enforce restrictions on automakers could be limited in the future. The plan would overturn official EPA policy that has been in place since 2009. A newly drafted plan from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said to be days away from going public, aims to strip the agency's ability to limit greenhouse gases. According to reporting from the New York Times, the draft proposal rescinds a 2009 declaration that carbon dioxide and methane emissions are hazardous to public health. If verified and passed, such a proposal presents further headwinds to EV adoption and also removes limits on tailpipe emissions. The ruling would also affect industrial pollution, but as far as the automotive industry is concerned, it would remove carbon emission limitations as a target for automakers. With fines for CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) violations largely eliminated and federal rebates for EV purchases gone, this new change could continue to change the course of domestic car manufacturing. Long-term, such a change would limit the EPA's authority to enforce rules aimed at limiting climate change. The proposed draft is said not to argue with the science regarding greenhouse gas emissions, but rather it states that the EPA has legally overstepped its authority. It seeks to limit the EPA's ability to legislate except in specific circumstances. There are several steps to be taken before such a change occurs, not least of which are various legal hurdles. If enacted, the new plan would almost certainly face challenges from various sources. It also has to weather some form of public review. It took two years for the EPA to officially label greenhouse gases as a public health issue after a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that they were pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Unwinding this finding may take a similarly long timeline. If you are in the automaking business, however, it's fairly straightforward to see which way the winds are blowing. For the near future, investing in combustion-powered transportation is likely to be the safe bet. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
