Trump DOJ can't stop whiffing in court as 5th judge torpedoes 'fishing expedition' for 'unredacted' voter rolls, and the hits could keep coming

A federal judge connected Friday smacked down the DOJ's quest for Rhode Island's "unredacted" elector rolls, uncovering that the authorities would inactive neglect adjacent if allowed different wound astatine the apple.

In a 14-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy wrote that the DOJ's demands for Rhode Island's "unredacted" elector rolls containing "sensitive information," similar driver's licenses and partial Social Security numbers, did not person a "factual basis" underlying them.

Appointed by President Donald Trump successful 2019, McElroy said that letting the DOJ nonstop a "curing elaboration letter" to Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore wouldn't really hole the problem.

Assuming that missive offered a "factual basis" for the request, "it would inactive neglect to authorities a assertion […] due to the fact that it lacks a legally capable purpose" nether the Civil Rights Act's Title III, McElroy said.

"While the United States suggests that Title III fundamentally authorizes factually groundless 'fishing expeditions,' Congress could not person intended Title III to beryllium interpreted successful this redundant and circular manner," the justice added.

The DOJ's Title III demands person spanned the full state but succeeded chiefly successful reddish states, leading it to sue much than 2 twelve bluish oregon purple states to unit compliance.

The astir assertive determination came successful January, erstwhile the FBI executed a hunt warrant successful Fulton County, Georgia, and seized 2020 predetermination ballots, tabulators, and elector rolls.

The raid happened while the government was suing the clerk for the records, successful the precise region where, successful the days earlier Jan. 6, Trump pressured the state's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780" votes.

The region has demanded the instrumentality of 656 boxes "containing the archetypal versions of 2020 election-related materials," challenged the validity of the warrant, and truthful acold unsuccessfully sought internal FBI documents astir the raid — adjacent arsenic it claims it's astatine the "epicenter" of Trump's crippled to "take implicit the voting."

However, the project championed by erstwhile Attorney General Pam Bondi and carried retired by DOJ Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has spiraled into a four-game losing streak.

On Friday, McElroy extended that streak to five.

"While the contiguous Motions were pending, 4 different national territory courts issued decisions connected astir identical cases brought by the United States seeking unredacted elector registration accusation from California, Oregon, Michigan, and Massachusetts," the justice observed. "All 4 courts dismissed the United States' lawsuits."

"Absent from the request are immoderate factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island whitethorn beryllium violating the database attraction requirements of the NVRA and HAVA, fto unsocial the CRA. This unsocial would beryllium capable to foreclose judicial enforcement of the demand," she concluded.

The ruling was a delight to Democratic Party predetermination lawyer Marc Elias.

DOJ demanded elector files from each 50 states.

DOJ sued 31 states for refusing their demand.

My instrumentality steadfast intervened to support voters successful those cases.

DOJ is present 0-5.

My steadfast is 5-0.

Lesson: When we combat we win.

— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) April 17, 2026

"DOJ demanded elector files from each 50 states. DOJ sued 31 states for refusing their demand. My instrumentality steadfast intervened to support voters successful those cases," helium said. "DOJ is present 0-5. My steadfast is 5-0. Lesson: When we combat we win."

Dhillon, seen by a conception of MAGA arsenic a campaigner to regenerate Bondi, posted a nexus Thursday to a Wall Street Journal sentiment piece that billed her arsenic "Trump's Civil-Rights Enforcer successful Action."

"It's ever bully erstwhile the brag notices your work! It's the grant of my vocation to service successful this medication for the champion President of my lifetime! @CivilRights," Dhillon said, sharing a screenshot of a Trump Truth Social post.

It didn't instrumentality agelong for Elias to respond.

"We stock thing successful common: I americium arrogant that helium has noticed my enactment successful defeating him and his cronies successful tribunal implicit and implicit again," helium answered. "I deterioration Trump's scorn arsenic a badge of honor."