The Republican party’s transformation into a Trump establishment has been remarkable. Several Republican-led states have adopted legislation that erodes voting rights and others are considering a recount of ballots from the last Presidential election. This has left many wondering if Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has any means to prevent these partisan audits. The DOJ has indeed warned against these unprofessional and unscientific audits, firing a second warning Wednesday that mishandling ballots can violate federal law. This article by Josh Gerstein and Zach Montellaro is published by Politico. Here is an excerpt:

The Justice Department on Wednesday issued another warning aimed at states conducting or considering audits of ballots tallied in last year’s election, reminding election authorities that allowing ballots to be mishandled can violate federal law.

While the Biden administration “guidance” document carries no formal legal weight and may not strike fear into local officials, the Justice Department used the release of the legal analysis to press their campaign of saber-rattling against Republican-led audits of the 2020 vote in Arizona and other states, as well as voting changes many GOP-controlled states are pursuing as part of purported anti-fraud efforts.

“Jurisdictions have to be careful not to let those ballots be defaced or mutilated or lost or destroyed as part of an audit,” said a Justice Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. “This document puts down a marker that says the Justice Department is concerned about this.”

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