Justice Department Shifts Focus in Voting Rights Enforcement

The Justice Department's voting rights unit will focus on voter fraud investigations and ensuring elections are without 'suspicion.' Trump's new mission statement for the unit emphasizes conspiracy theories linked to the 2020 election, sidelining traditional voting rights enforcement. Legal experts argue the changes may contravene constitutional provisions.

The Justice Department's unit tasked with upholding voting rights laws is refocusing its efforts on investigating voter fraud, as outlined in a memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The new mission diverges from traditional enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, emphasizing conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election advanced by former President Donald Trump, despite no substantial evidence of widespread fraud.

Legal analysts are concerned the revised mission statement contravenes constitutional protocols, as states and Congress primarily hold the power to set election procedures, not the executive branch.

(With inputs from agencies.)