Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. intelligence chief involved in 2020 election probes, resigns

Tulsi Gabbard, the top U.S. intelligence official who played a central role in President Donald Trump’s efforts to investigate the 2020 presidential election, announced today she will resign as director of national intelligence later this summer.
In a bizarre task for the country’s top intelligence officer, Gabbard took part in the FBI’s extraordinary raid on an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia.
More on Gabbard’s resignation >>>

Jared Polis said Tina Peters took responsibility for her crimes. Now she’s posting that Democrats ‘will try to destroy you’

Tina Peters, the GOP election official who was convicted for her role in a voting system breach, slammed Colorado Democrats and even some Republicans for the censure of Gov. Jared Polis (D) — and suggested the censure is further evidence the Democratic Party is trying to cover up a rigged 2020 election.
“The Democrats have once again shown that if you do not stay within their party line, they will try to destroy you,” the post from Peters said. “They are attacking the governor for showing mercy, and they have put a bullseye on a 70-year-old, nonviolent, first-time offender.”
What else did Peters say? >>>

Judge dismisses DOJ’s criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia as vindictive

A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, ruling that the case against him amounted to a vindictive prosecution.
A U.S. District judge determined that the department pursued immigrant smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia to punish him for legally challenging his wrongful removal to an El Salvador megaprison last year.
More on the dismissal >>>

Louisiana State House panel advances GOP gerrymandering, erasing majority-Black district

Despite listening to hours of public testimony begging them not to, Louisiana lawmakers took another step toward erasing one of the state’s majority-Black congressional districts.
The Louisiana House and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced the remapping bill to the floor by a 10-7 party-line vote.
More about the dissent to the new map >>>

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DOJ drops charges against Chicago ICE protesters over prosecutorial misconduct

Federal prosecutors in Chicago dropped all misdemeanor charges against the “Broadview Six” — a group of people that includes Democratic candidates for the U.S. House and Illinois legislature — who protested Trump’s aggressive immigration raids in the Windy City last year outside an immigration detention facility.
While dismissing the charges, the DOJ admitted that prosecutors handling the case had used improper tactics before a grand jury to obtain the indictment against the protesters.
Why the judge was “shocked” by what she saw >>>

FBI reportedly seeking Milwaukee cops for 2020 election probe

The FBI is planning to interview members of the Milwaukee Police Department as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing probe into 2020’s presidential election results, according to a local news outlet.
The questioning is part of Trump’s relentless push to convince the public that the 2020 vote was stolen, despite several investigations and audits proving there were no irregularities in Wisconsin.
What’s happening in Wisconsin >>>

Even Trump-appointed judges are ruling against voter roll cases

A quick fact for you to know: Of the eight state voter data lawsuits the DOJ has lost, four were before judges appointed by Trump.

Court won’t rehear Arkansas’ bid for restrictive voter registration rule

In a win for voters, a federal appeals court denied a rehearing for Arkansas election officials who lost their case in March to implement a “wet signature” mandate, which would have made online voter registration more difficult.
The order granted today rejected the state’s request for a full rehearing of the case, meaning Arkansas voters won’t be blocked from registering electronically.
More context on the case >>>

A bad week for Trump’s DOJ and their quest for access to state voter registration rolls

Federal judges handed the DOJ two more losses in its nationwide attempt to gain access to state voter registration rolls, ruling the federal government had no right to demand records from Maine and Wisconsin. The pair of losses brings the DOJ’s record to 0-8 out of 31 lawsuits it brought against states and Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, the DOJ hit another roadblock. A panel of judges in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sounded deeply skeptical of the government’s argument for access to California and Oregon’s voter rolls. In particular, a bizarre memo that the department’s Office of Legal Counsel first submitted last week for a different lawsuit drew much of their questioning.

Vermont Supreme Court affirms dismissal of anti-voting lawsuit

The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's dismissal of an anti-voting lawsuit challenging a law that allows noncitizens to vote in the City of Burlington's school board and budget elections. This means noncitizens will continue to be eligible to vote in those local elections.

Texas Supreme Court rejects attempt to expel Democrats for blocking gerrymander

The Texas Supreme Court, all of whom are elected Republicans, rejected an effort by GOP officials to expel Democratic lawmakers who briefly fled the state last summer in an attempt to prevent Republicans from passing a partisan gerrymander. The Supreme Court's decision was a blow to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).