Trump DOJ suffers first appeals court loss - after nine lower court failures - in floundering voter roll crusade
A federal appeals court has dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit against Michigan's Secretary of State, marking the tenth consecutive loss for the Trump-era DOJ in its efforts to access state voter registration databases. The court ruled that the DOJ was misapplying civil rights legislation to target voters rather than protect their rights.
Why it matters
The ruling sets a binding precedent that limits federal power to demand sensitive state voter data, impacting ongoing and future election integrity litigation.
A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), rejecting the department’s attempt to force the state to turn over its full voter registration file.
The source, Democracy Docket, is known for its focus on voting rights and often frames legal challenges to election administration from a pro-voting-access perspective.
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