Category Archives: Department of Justice

My One Personal Interaction with Sen. Sessions Does Not Give Me Confidence About Strong Voting Rights Enforcement with Him as AG

November 18, 2016, 8:30 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Others have written about Senator Jeff Sessions, President-Elect Trump’s expected nominee for Attorney General, and questions of race and voting rights. I can add only one thing from personal experience. In 2006, I testified (that day, along with Professors… Continue reading

“Jeff Sessions, Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Is a Fierce Opponent of Civil Rights”

November 18, 2016, 7:32 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

Ari Berman for The Nation: In the Democratic primary of September 1984, FBI agents hid behind the bushes of the Perry County post office, waiting for Turner and fellow activist Spencer Hogue to mail 500 absentee ballots on behalf of… Continue reading

“Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 28 States on Election Day”

November 7, 2016, 9:02 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

Press release.

NC: “U.S. Justice Department to monitor voting in Forsyth, Wake, Cumberland and Robeson counties”

November 3, 2016, 7:18 amDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP reports.

“Will The New era Of Limited Federal Monitoring Still Protect Voter Rights?”

October 19, 2016, 12:52 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Nina Totenberg reports for NPR.

“Justice Department significantly reducing number of federal observers stationed inside polling places”

October 7, 2016, 8:10 amDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Sari Horwitz for WaPo: The Justice Department is significantly reducing the number of federal observers stationed inside polling places in next month’s election at the same time that voters will face strict new election laws in more than a… Continue reading

DOJ and Private Plaintiffs File #SCOTUS Responses in NC Emergency Voting Case

August 25, 2016, 12:42 pmDepartment of Justice, election administration, The Voting Wars, voter id, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Private Plaintiffs’ response. DOJ’s response. Chief Justice Roberts can now decide this motion himself or refer to the Court. (NC might try to draft a reply by tomorrow). I’d expect a decision early next week. Here’s what I … Continue reading

Oops

July 20, 2016, 7:42 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

The Hill: A staffer at the Department of Justice is in hot water after sending a tweet about Melania Trump from the agency’s Twitter account. In a statement Tuesday, a Justice official said a “staffer in the public affairs… Continue reading

“Justice Department Voting Rights Unit Adapts After Supreme Court Ruling”

March 26, 2016, 11:13 amDepartment of Justice, The Voting Wars, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Carrie Johnson of NPR talks to Justin Levitt and others about voting issues at DOJ.

“For government’s top lawyer on voting rights, presidential election has already begun”

January 13, 2016, 11:45 amDepartment of Justice, election law biz, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Nice Sari Horwitz profile of Justin Levitt in the Washington Post. (Justin has been an ELB blogger but not while he’s at DOJ.) Levitt would not discuss specific cases, except to say that although the department is hampered by the… Continue reading

“Eric Holder on Voting Rights, Black Lives Matter, Karl Rove, and Tupac”

December 10, 2015, 2:03 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Conversation with Ari Berman. The case that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act was called Shelby County v. Holder. You are Holder. Do you think the Administration in retrospect could have done anything differently in… Continue reading

“The Justice Department Is Now on the Campaign Finance Beat”

October 12, 2015, 7:15 pmcampaign finance, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy blogs.

Former US AG Michael Mukasey Criticizes DOJ Voting Section

October 5, 2015, 8:54 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Imprimis: The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is the one we think of as having the main responsibility for protecting fairness. Yet its recent record has indicated other priorities. Recently its Voting Section went out of its way to review a… Continue reading

“Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Professor Justin Levitt Named to U.S. Department of Justice Post Overseeing Voting”

September 11, 2015, 11:16 amDepartment of Justice, election law bizRick Hasen

Release: Loyola Law School, Los Angeles today announced that prominent election law professor Justin Levitt, a national expert in constitutional law and the law of democracy, has been named Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of… Continue reading