Federal Court slaps down Trump Administration attack on California democracy for third time this week
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today released the following statement in response to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling against Trump and his administration’s attempts to subvert the U.S. Constitution, rule of law, and democracy by attempting to use the federal government’s powers to interfere with states’ rights to administer elections — and indeed attempting in the middle of an ongoing election.
Trump and his administration just lost for the third time this week in their desperate and dangerous attempts to meddle in the California election process with voting already underway and just days before Election Day. These attacks on our democracy are serious, and the full force of our state is defending our democracy right now. We will continue to fight them on their illegal power grabs every step of the way, and deliver a free and fair election just as we’ve always done.
Governor Gavin Newsom
“Three legal victories in one week make clear that the Trump Administration has zero authority to interfere in California’s elections,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “California law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and there are several state laws that guard against it. That is why it is exceptionally rare. The Administration’s baseless claims of widespread fraud are an attempt to sow doubt in our democratic process and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. We will keep fighting to uphold the rule of law.”
This ruling comes after the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request by Trump’s DOJ for a preliminary injunction on Monday and the District Court rejected the Trump Administration’s request on Wednesday.