Federal judge: Trump, lawyers knew election fraud data was inaccurate
A federal judge on Thursday told a judge in Washington that President Donald Trump was aware of a widespread public confusion about the degree to which his campaign improperly used voter data, but he ruled only that the President was not liable for the potential harm.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson told the judge in Washington that the President, his lawyers, his accountants and his lawyer’s own statements suggest that he was aware.
“It just makes so much more sense,” the judge said, when talking about why there was a public perception that the 2016 election was marred by voter fraud. “The President, his lawyers for that matter, and his accountants and his lawyers’ lawyers — we’ve heard this from everyone, and we’ve heard it many times, that the campaign was using voter databases. And it’s true.”
Jackson wrote that the evidence on the issue presented to the court was compelling and showed a deliberate public campaign.
“It just makes so much more sense,” the judge said. “The President, his lawyers for that matter, and his accountants and his lawyers’ lawyers — we’ve heard this from everyone, and we’ve heard it many times, that the campaign was using voter databases. And it’s true.”
But the judge also emphasized the difficulty President Trump will face in trying to hold anyone accountable for the misuse of voter data.
“It goes to the reason why the government has to proceed with litigation against individuals,” she said, calling the case “an important step forward for citizens’ rights to have the government pursue its violations of the law in court.”
In a separate opinion on the subject Friday, a federal judge said that the evidence will show that the Trump campaign was using databases to target voter fraud.
“As a matter of law, the President cannot be held liable for the unauthorized use of voter turnout information for purposes of political campaigns,” Justice Department lawyer Steven Dubnick wrote in a response to a petition that sought an order to hold the President in civil contempt of court.
