The Justice Department is escalating its clash with California over voter-roll access, accusing state officials of blocking a federal audit. The dispute centers on voter roll maintenance and access to registration records, not any publicly identified allegation of impropriety in a specific California race.

DOJ Probe

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli questioned what California is afraid of, saying the state should open its records, not fight to keep them closed. Essayli highlighted concerns about how California maintains its voter rolls, including removing deceased voters, people who have moved, and individuals convicted of disqualifying felonies.

California’s rules allow certain first-time voters who do not provide a Social Security number or driver’s license when registering to verify their identity with documents including gym membership cards, employer IDs, credit or debit cards, prescription labels, and insurance cards. The state also allows third parties to collect and turn in ballots on voters’ behalf with few restrictions.

Response from California

A spokesperson from California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said every federal court to consider the issue has ruled the DOJ’s demands violate federal law. The California Attorney General’s office pushed back on Essayli’s framing, noting that the DOJ had already lost the case at the district court level.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.