Trump voter fraud bounty follows justice department challenges to three states over midterms
Hours after Donald Trump offered a $1m reward for reports of voter fraud in the midterm elections, his justice department pressed its third direct challenge to a state's voting rolls that month, while a federal appeals court blocked a similar move against California.
Trump voter fraud bounty follows justice department challenges to three states over midterms
Third state challenge in a month
While ballots were still being cast in the midterm elections, the justice department escalated its push against state voting rolls. The Trump administration asked Washington state to set aside ballots cast by more than 400 people it alleges are registered to vote without US citizenship.
It was not an isolated action. According to the report, the Washington request marked the third time that month that the justice department had brought a direct state challenge of this kind - and it came even as voting was under way.
Appeals court blocks California ballot challenge
In California, the administration met a judicial setback. A US federal appeals court rejected the justice department's move to block the state from counting the ballots of 20,000 registered voters whom the department claims are non-citizens.
The ruling leaves the California ballots in the count, even as the department's state-level challenges continued elsewhere.
The $1m bounty and its conditions
Against that backdrop, Trump announced a $1m reward for reports of voter fraud during the midterm elections. The payment of the voter fraud $1 million bounty, he said, was contingent on the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
He did not disclose how he would pay for the rewards. The comments follow his repeated and unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud.
The appeals court ruling stands against the California challenge, and the justice department's state challenges and Trump's bounty remained in effect while midterm voting was under way.
