Assistant U.S. Attorneys General (AUSAs), along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), will be monitoring Tennessee’s Election Day activities and handling any complaints that may arise.
AUSAs Robert Levine and Steve Jordan will “lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election,” according to a press release.
The involvement of the AUSAs and FBI is apparently meant to deter any efforts to hamper voting.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Wildasin. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The role of the Department of Justice (DOJ), parent of the FBI, was explained at length in the release.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
It will also focus on thwarting any potential voter fraud, after the 2020 elections were marred with allegations of such fraud.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” Wildasin said. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
The release says that the AUSAs can be reached by telephone to report instances of suspicious behavior.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Polling Place” by Aaron Webb. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Why is Gov Lee allowing ANY Federal agency to monitor or manage election complaints? The States are responsible for their elections and the State Atty General ought to be out there with TNBI and local Sheriffs. There is no legal foundation for this Federal medling.
Given the exposure of FBI violations, for years and continuing, why should we expect or want the FBI to monitor anything? Asking crooks to maintain lawful procedures and activities is, well, rather idiotic, don’t ya thinkl?
You forgot an acronym. If the DOJ and especially the FBI is involved, the ADL will be running things. After all, the FBI is the police arm of the ADL.
Doesn’t that make you feel better?!! Not me.
Just peachy. Leave the foxes to guard the hen house.