Newsom warns judges over possible federal ballot seizures
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote to the chief judges of the state's four federal court districts, warning that the Trump administration might seek warrants to seize ballots or election records after Tuesday's vote.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has warned the state's top federal judges that the Trump administration may try to seize ballots, election records or voting equipment after Tuesday's midterm elections.
In a letter sent on Saturday to the chief judges of California's four federal court districts, Newsom urged them to carefully scrutinize any request for search warrants tied to the election. He said such action could disrupt the lawful counting of votes and the certification of results, which in California is due by Dec. 11. He said no such warrant application was pending.
The letter comes amid a series of clashes between the state and the federal government over the election. Last week the Justice Department subpoenaed some California election officials, and the administration has said it would likely ask the Supreme Court to step in over thousands of mail-in ballots in the state.
Newsom, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said voters must be able to trust that their ballots will be counted. Polls in California close at 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.