U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Timothy Courchaine announced Friday that his office has opened a case into recent reporting about three non-profit organizations registering non-citizens to vote in Arizona. The United States Attorney’s Office has already referred the matter to the FBI for a thorough federal investigation, according to a statement from the office.
On Monday, October 26, Courchaine sent letters to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. The letters named Stand Indivisible Arizona, Worker Power, and When We Count, a voter-registration program associated with the Democratic National Committee.
Citing “written and video reports,” the letters stated that “personnel acting on behalf” of the three groups “either intentionally disregarded or were recklessly ignorant of” Arizona law barring the registration of non-citizens in elections. Courchaine asked the officials to review registrations submitted by the groups to ensure only United States citizens were registered to vote.
The announcement included a public reminder that read, “On the eve of an important midterm election, the District of Arizona reminds the public that voting is limited solely to U.S. citizens,” even if a non-citizen has “legal authority to be in the country on a visa or as a legal permanent resident.” It further stated that “knowingly causing another person to be registered to vote while knowing that person is not entitled to do so” violates federal law.
The “recent reporting” referenced in the letters and announcement appears to involve an October 22 undercover video produced by the outlet Muckraker. In the video, a journalist posing as a non-citizen or a felon on probation approached canvassers at events run by the three groups and discussed voter registration.
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According to accounts of the footage, canvassers indicated a willingness to assist or advised the individuals to register online, though the video does not show any completed registrations being submitted. Axios reported that the groups are Democratic-aligned nonprofits and noted that Arizona’s voter registration deadline had already passed weeks earlier.
Stand Indivisible Arizona describes itself as a non-partisan, volunteer-driven community organization focused on activism. Worker Power identifies as a multi-racial, multi-generational social welfare organization involved in voter engagement and policy work. When We Count operates as a voter-registration effort linked to the Democratic National Committee. None of the organizations had issued public statements responding to the investigation as of the U.S. Attorney’s announcement.
The investigation comes days before Arizona’s November 3 midterm election, in which voters will decide races for governor, other statewide offices, and the state’s U.S. House seats. Federal and state law restrict voting to U.S. citizens. Courchaine’s office has not announced any charges or specific findings of improper registrations, and the matter remains under review by the FBI and the referenced state officials as of this report.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
