Trump weighs in on lawsuit filed against Virginia by the Department of Justice

Former President Donald Trump weighed in Monday on the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit filed against the state of Virginia Oct. 11, which has garnered national attention.

“One of the Greatest Examples of DOJ Weaponization is the fact that they are suing Virginia to put ALL of the Illegal Voters, which were fully exposed and removed by the important work of Governor Glenn Youngkin, back on the Voter Rolls. Obviously, this was done so that they can CHEAT on the Election. So sad! What has happened to our once Great Country?” questioned Trump on Truth Social yesterday.

With only three weeks until the presidential election, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin called the lawsuit “unprecedented.” 

The suit seeks to prohibit the state from purging voter rolls within 90 days of the federal election to conform to the National Voter Registration Act. The 90-day period prevents voters from being disenfranchised by giving them a chance to get back on registration lists if they were removed in error.

The suit comes after Governor Youngkin signed an executive order in August requiring the state’s Department of Elections to conduct daily updates to its voting list, including comparing the list of identified “noncitizens” against the state’s list of registered voters. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting for president or members of Congress. Violators can be fined, imprisoned for up to a year and deported.

Voters who have moved out of state, have passed away or who are felons are also scrutinized for removal.

The DOJ also filed suit against Alabama on Sept. 27 for the same reason. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also criticized the DOJ’s suit on “Face the Nation” Sunday. He claimed the Department of Justice sued Virginia officials to “prevent them from cleaning up their voter rolls.” The speaker said, “I think noncitizens are going to vote” and that the DOJ suit was a “case in point.”

Youngkin’s lawyer Richard Cullen responded by saying that Virginia’s process for removing noncitizens from the voting rolls has taken place under both Democratic and Republican governors since 2006 when Tim Kaine, who was then the governor of Virginia, signed a law requiring Virginia to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls.

Cullen said Virginia is not violating a federal policy because the state allows a buffer period for Virginians who may have been removed in error to be added back on before election day. He described that process as individualized, not systemic, per the 2006 law.

Virginia has several precautions in place, including sending letters to impacted voters and allowing them 14 days to prove they are a citizen before canceling their registration.

Audrey Carpenter is the Loudoun County Bureau Chief for All Virginia News. She can be reached at: audreycarpenter@allvirginia.news