Activist judges are weaponizing the federal bench against election integrity.
The same judges who rubber-stamped Biden's agenda for four years suddenly discovered the Constitution when Trump tries to verify voter rolls.
And a Clinton judge who said Trump "likely committed crimes" in 2020 just blocked the DOJ from investigating voter fraud.
Judge Carter Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter threw out the Department of Justice's lawsuit demanding access to California's unredacted voter registration files.
The DOJ requested standard voter information including names, birthdates, addresses, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers.
Attorney General Pam Bondi sued California to enforce compliance with federal election laws requiring states to maintain accurate voter rolls.
But Carter called the request "unprecedented and illegal" and warned it would have a "chilling effect on voter registration."
He characterized the DOJ's lawsuit as a dangerous attempt to "centralize" private voter information in the Executive Branch.
Carter dismissed the case outright without allowing the DOJ to amend its complaint.
The judge made clear he expects his ruling to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.
Same Judge Said Trump "Likely Committed Crimes" During 2020 Election Challenges
Carter isn't just any Clinton appointee.
He's the same activist judge who presided over the John Eastman case related to the January 6 Committee's investigation.
In March 2022, Carter issued a ruling claiming President Trump "more likely than not" committed crimes by challenging the 2020 election results.
He called Trump's legal efforts "a coup in search of a legal theory" and accused Trump of corruptly attempting to obstruct Congress.
The January 6 Committee repeatedly cited Carter's ruling as evidence against Trump.
Representative Liz Cheney quoted from Carter's opinion during televised hearings and encouraged every American to read it.
Carter wrote that Trump and Eastman "launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history."
Now this same judge is blocking the DOJ from investigating potential election fraud and non-citizen voting.
DOJ Has Sued 23 States For Refusing To Provide Voter Roll Data
The Department of Justice launched a nationwide effort to obtain statewide voter registration lists from all 50 states.
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia refused to comply and have been sued by the DOJ.
All of the states that refused are either led by Democrats or were lost by Trump in the 2020 election.
The states being sued include California, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and 15 others.
At least eight Republican states have voluntarily provided their voter rolls: Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
The DOJ argued it needs access to verify that states are maintaining voter lists in accordance with federal law.
State officials claimed the federal government has never had access to this data before.
But the Trump administration pointed to the National Voter Registration Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 as legal authority.
Carter rejected those arguments and accused the DOJ of conducting a "fishing expedition."
Carter's Ruling Threatens Nationwide Election Integrity Efforts
Carter's dismissal marks the first ruling among the numerous voter data lawsuits filed across the country.
A federal judge in Oregon said he's tentatively planning to issue a similar ruling this week.
If these rulings stand, they would effectively kill the Trump administration's efforts to verify voter roll accuracy.
Carter wrote that the DOJ's request would have a "chilling effect on voter registration" and could "inevitably lead to decreasing voter turnout."
He claimed voters might fear their information would be used for "inappropriate or unlawful purpose."
The judge accused the Trump administration of trying to use civil rights legislation "for an entirely different purpose" than Congress intended.
Carter said the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the National Voter Registration Act were passed to defend Black Americans' voting rights against "persistent voter suppression."
He argued that allowing the DOJ to verify voter roll accuracy somehow violates those same civil rights laws.
The ruling prevents the federal government from investigating potential non-citizen voting in California.
It blocks the DOJ from determining whether California is complying with federal voter list maintenance requirements.
And it shields California's voter rolls from any federal scrutiny despite the state refusing to verify citizenship status when people register to vote.
Attorney General Bondi said in September that "clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections."
"Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure," Bondi added.
Carter's ruling says California doesn't have to meet that responsibility.
The same judge who claimed Trump committed crimes for questioning the 2020 election now prevents Trump from investigating election integrity.
Sources:
- Gateway Pundit, "ACTIVIST JUDGE STRIKES AGAIN: Clinton-Appointed Judge Who Claimed Trump 'Likely Committed Crimes' in Challenging 2020 Elections Now Blocks DOJ's Voter Data Request," January 16, 2026.
- Democracy Docket, "Federal court shuts down Trump DOJ bid for California voter rolls," January 16, 2026.
- NPR, "A federal judge dismisses the DOJ's effort to get voter data from California," January 15, 2026.
- NBC News, "Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit seeking California voter data," January 15, 2026.
- Voice of OC, "Jan. 6 Committee Repeatedly Cites OC Federal Judge's Ruling That Trump 'Likely' Committed Crime," June 15, 2022.
- CNN, "Judge: 'More likely than not' that Trump 'corruptly attempted' to block Congress from counting votes on January 6," March 28, 2022.
- U.S. Department of Justice, "Justice Department Sues Arizona and Connecticut for Failure to Produce Voter Rolls," January 6, 2026.
- Brennan Center for Justice, "Tracker of Justice Department Requests for Voter Information," 2026.
