The Independent View: Voting Rights Group Files Suit Against Trump and Administration for Voter Intimidation

A Voting Rights Group and others filed a Lawsuit against Trump and Administration Officials, on Wednesday Oct. 21st, alleging their Actions have amounted to Voter Intimidation.

The Lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia less than Two Weeks from Election Day, names Trump, Attorney General William Barr. and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, as Defendants.

Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, an Advocacy Group for Latino Voters, and Two Registered Voters assert in the 53-page Complaint that all Three Officials have Violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Ku Klux Klan Act, and the Constitution. The Group is Represented by Free Speech for the People, Mehri & Skallet and Emery Celli.

The Beginning of the Complaint Lists Seven Actions the Officials have taken that the Plaintiffs said were Equivalent to Voter Intimidation:

- Calling on Trump Supporters to Serve as Poll Watchers.

- Sending Law Enforcement to Polling Stations to Respond to Protests "perceived to be in opposition to him" and Not to Demonstrations of those "perceived to support him."

- Having Sabotaged Vote-by-Mail Delivery.

- Threatening Mail-in-Voting and those Ballots' ability to be Counted.

- Proposing to Delay the Election.

- Not Committing to a Peaceful Transition of Power.

- Stopped from urging Supporters to Openly Carry Guns at Polling Locations and Block Access.

"Defendants' actions over the past five months make these threats terrifyingly credible," the Complaint said. "Defendants have displayed a willingness to use the full force of the federal government to suppress constitutionally protected activity and incite private actors to do the same. The pattern of conduct described above has had, as a foreseeable impact, an objective intimidating effect on eligible voters," the Complaint adds.

The Plaintiffs called for Preliminary Injunction to Prevent the Officials "from continuing to engage in this unconstitutional and illegal intimidation." The Group seeks for Trump to Stop using "official governmental public communications channels" and his Twitter account to suggest votes cast properly will be challenged, Ron Fein, a Co-Counsel with Free Speech for People said.