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Justice Department vs. Florida

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    DOJ orders state to halt purge of ineligible voters

  • Duration 5:37
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Got a big story developing today in a state that could tip the presidential election.

Eric holder's Justice Department demanding that Florida halts its push to remove thousands.

Of allegedly ineligible voters from the voter rolls.

All this just months before the presidential election and in a state where the bush V gore fight in the 2000 election wound up being decided by a margin of just.

537.

Votes.

David rickets is a constitutional -- attorney.

And a former white house council under presidents Reagan and George H.

W.

Bush David.

Thank you for very much for being here supported sizes gonna clean up the -- -- try to get the dead people off try to get that non citizens off an advance of the big election.

And Eric holder's Justice Department -- Florida a letter saying.

Knock it off you're in violation potentially of the voting rights act which says.

You can't do voter roll maintenance.

Close to the ninety days before an election and their primaries August 14 so they say they're violating the federal law does he have a point.

It does not have much of a point of coming and especially -- content consider that Florida has been asking.

-- close to ten months the Department of Homeland Security of it maintains a database.

On individuals not a complete database but a fairly do you still database and individuals are in this country legally.

Because they overstayed their status.

All we have here is part of parts of a broader -- by this administration that is desperate to win the reelection in part because of bad economic news you were talking about earlier.

That is trying to engage in very crass political games and a number of states.

In Arizona in Texas and Florida pushing across a range of issues -- right.

We redistricting.

But whatever you call it and what's up appalling to me is that is being driven by attorney general look -- not had such a politicization.

Of attorney general.

Who has -- law enforcement -- in this country since the days of Nixon.

And the attorney general Mitchell who was very much involved in -- was ahead of committed to reelect the president.

But he says his Justice Department says it is the state of Florida it is the Republican governor down there.

That is politicizing this election because they say look.

You're kicking alleged non citizens off the voter rolls demanding that they provide proof of citizenship because you -- -- -- check the records and you say it didn't check out but they say.

You're eight winding up targeting a lot of real citizens which is a hassle and be.

You're overwhelmingly targeting Hispanic voters about 58% of those flagged as potential non citizens.

Are Hispanics and back -- be a problem.

Look differently at -- grieve and to me is -- an exceptional proposition.

That'd be just as it's deplorable to prevent some money from voting -- -- a right to vote allowing people to vote.

Fraudulently who don't have a right to vote devalues the franchise of -- -- citizenship of those who vote there's nothing wrong with.

Florida and other states have been trying for a long time to do this issue forward talking about is giving individuals an opportunity to.

-- -- but there are eligible to vote.

And that look this is a -- and missed -- that is simultaneously preventing.

Department of Homeland Security to provide data -- -- state of Florida and -- things that would be more definitive in resolving who is.

In this country legally.

And at the same time.

Preventing them from going forward novices this is a very crass political play there will lose in court but they're hoping basically to get beyond November.

And again you can get put in broad context this is -- same attorney general.

That's -- I'm going to.

A number of what pastors and giving them speeches that infect -- -- -- electioneering.

Telling them supposedly.

Well this is what you can -- to your parishioners.

There's an effort to -- franchise you.

And again think about how close to elections this is what his message is and what is a selectivity.

He did not -- usual though is that unusual because you know it you when you look at past attorneys general right now Alberto Gonzales John Ashcroft.

They they don't necessarily necessarily seem like.

Moderates you know middle of the road nonpartisan guys there -- there you know the nation's chief law enforcement officer but should we be so prices Eric Holder any further left.

And John ash craft was right and is one more guilty of being you know political act and inappropriately political than the other.

-- in this is an excellent question but but let facts speak for themselves my point is -- not since the days of John Mitchell.

We've had an attorney general -- that involved and clearly political activities.

This close to elections I'm not talking about the ideological.

Composition.

-- right the left they are.

-- had that to -- deals you mention and and everybody else I can think about again going back to the post Nixon.

Times has ever been involved in -- what does the media would have been an uproar.

If Republican attorney general.

Done half of that can imagine for example Republican attorney general.

Selecting a group -- friendly pastors not all pastors no real.

-- people -- -- pastors and -- down with them several months before we elections in effect to give them.

A speech that is 100% identical to the campaign message.

-- his boss I don't know what have been your guys have been screaming -- impeachment.

Now but that it did -- justice doesn't see its behavior in Florida as political it thinks that the governor there has got political and they are righting that wrong.

Time will tell how this plays out David Rifkin a pleasure sir thank you so much.

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