Thursday, June 4

Hello, pro-democracy readers! The Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) voting section hired a lawyer who worked to overturn the 2020 election and represented George Floyd’s killer, Democracy Docket exclusively reported today. Meanwhile, could June be the “cruelest month” for democracy? Founder Marc Elias explains why in his latest opinion piece.

That and much more is on the docket today. Let’s get into it all.

Andrew Wyrich, Newsletter Editor

Exclusive: Meet William F. Mohrman, the newest addition to the DOJ's voting section roster

Mohrman, who was active in efforts to overturn the 2020 election and later represented the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, was hired by Trump’s DOJ voting section, according to court filings reviewed by Democracy Docket.
Mohrman is the latest in a growing list of attorneys the section has added who have worked on 2020 election challenges or teamed up with prominent election deniers.
Read our exclusive report >>>

For democracy, June is the harshest month

Marc writes: “In recent years, June has been the time when the high court delivers its most devastating blows against individual rights and the rule of law. While November may hold elections, it has been June that is the cruelest month for our democracy.”
Marc on what to expect this month >>>

NAACP says USPS rule advancing Trump’s mail-voting attack violates settlement

The NAACP asked a federal court today to stop the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing a Trump-backed rule that would only send mail ballots to voters on lists controlled by the federal government.
Why the NAACP argued this was a “time-sensitive” matter >>>

From voter suppression laws to court battles that could change the rules, we’re watching it all — so you don’t miss a thing. Support nonstop, fact-based reporting with a premium membership.

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Trump pushes false claim that Democrats are ‘stealing’ California vote

President Donald Trump pounced on conspiracy theories about the state’s election by making baseless claims in an effort to push his anti-voting SAVE America Act.
California notoriously takes a long time to count votes, but that hasn’t stopped Trump and others from making conspiratorial allegations.
Here’s what Trump said >>>

Trump DOJ voter roll grab echoes ‘poll taxes and literacy tests’

A civil rights coalition warned a federal court that the DOJ's demand for New Jersey's unredacted voter data is more than a privacy threat — it's an intimidation tactic against Black voters.

What did they say? >>>

Election-denying sheriff who seized ballots set to lose California governor bid

Chad Bianco, who seized 650,000 ballots cast in last year's redistricting referendum, looks all but certain not to advance to the general election. As of this morning, Bianco was in a distant fourth place. Only the top two finishers will advance.
The latest in California’s gubernatorial race >>>

Here we share noteworthy briefs on all things voting rights and democracy. Have a footnote for us? Send it to newsletters@democracydocket.com.

House Democratic caucuses are urging corporate America to reaffirm its commitment to voting rights, saying: “At this critical moment, silence is not leadership. Corporations that have publicly championed democracy, racial equity, and civic participation have a responsibility to demonstrate that those commitments remain meaningful through both their words and their actions.”
Janice Johnston, the vice chair of the Georgia State Election Board and a longtime election denier, announced she is leaving the board.
Shortly after the Arizona Supreme Court shot down Attorney General Kris Mayes' effort to revive her indictment against Trump allies who aided in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, her office announced she plans to seek a new indictment.
Does the DOJ dropping its investigation into former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell have anything to do with the New York Knicks propelling themselves to the NBA Finals? Maybe…
Speaking of the Knicks, Trump said he will attend the game at Madison Square Garden Monday. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also be at that game, but will apparently be sitting in a “very different section.”