>>> TODAY THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IS SUING THE STATE OF
GEORGIA.
OUR COMPLAINT ALLEGATIONES GEORG
ELECTION LAWS WERE ENACTING THE
RIGHT OF BLACK GEORGIANS IN
VIOLATION OF SECTION TWO OF THE
VOTEING RIGHTS ACT.
WHERE WE BELIEVE THE CIVIL
RIGHTS OF AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
VIOLATED, WE WILL NOT HESITATE
TO ACT.
SGLA THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
DELIVERING ON ITS PROMISE TO
STEP UP IN FIGHT AGAINST VOTER
SUPPRESSION LAWS SPREADING LIKE
WIDE FIRE IN STATE LEGISLATURES
ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
THE DOJ JUMP SBOOG THE FRAY IN
GEORGIA SUING THAT STATE FOR ITS
VOTING RESTRICTIONS DESCRIBED BY
AS REPUBLICANS THERE AS
PREDICATED ON THE BIG LIE
DESIGNED TO CREATE OBSTACLES FOR
DEMOCRAT VOTERS.
IT COULD REPRESENT THE BEGINNING
OF THE BEGINNING FOR THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENTS EFFORTS ON THIS
FRONT.
THE GEORGIA LAW PASSED IN MARCH
JUST MONTHS AFTER THE CAPITOL
INSURRECTION AND THE
EX-PRESIDENTS ATTEMPT TO OVER
TURN THE ELECTION WAS THE TIP OF
THE
THE SPHERE.
THE STATE AN EARLY FLASH POINT
IN WHATS TURNED INTO AN ALL OUT
WAR FOR THE VERY FUTURE OF OUR
DEMOCRACY.
THE BILL THIS CURBS THE USE OF
ABCENTURY DEESENTEE BALLOTS LETS
CONTROL OF LEK BOARDS.
IT EVEN MAKES IT A CRIME TO HAND
OUT FOOD AND WATER TO PEOPLE
WAITING IN LINE TO VOTE.
IT WAS REFERRED TO BY THE NEW
YORK TIMES IN A COMPREHENSIVE
ANALYSIS AS QUOTE A BRETTATHTAKI
ASSERTION OF PARTISAN POWER,
MAKING ABSENTEE VOTEING HARDER
AND CREATING RESTRICTIONS IN THE
WAKE OF NARROW LOSS TO
DEMOCRATS.
CHRIS TEN CLARK CALLING THE LAW
AN ATTACK ON THE VOTING RIGHTS
OF PEOPLE OF COLOR.
>> AFTER A HISTORIC ELECTION
THAT SAW RECORD VOTER TURN OUT
ACROSS THE STATE, PARTICULARLY
FOR ABSENTEE VOTING WHICH BLACK
VOTERS ARE NOW MORE LIKELY TO
USE THAN WHITE VOTERS, OUR
COMPLAINT CHALLENGES SEVERAL
PROVISIONS OF SB 202 ON THE
GROUNDS THEY WERE ADOPTED WITH
THE INTENT TO DENY OR ABRIDGE
BLACK CITIZENS EQUAL ACCESS TO
THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
>> JOINING OUR CONVERSATION, NEW
YORK TIMES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
REPORTER KATIE JOINS US AND
JASON JOHNSON AT MORGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY AND A CONTRIBUTOR TO
THE GRIO.
TAKE US THROUGH TODAYS
ANNOUNCEMENT FIRST AND WELL
TALK ABOUT WHAT COMES NEXT.
>> SURE.
WHAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DID
TODAY IS IT SAID WERE GOING TO
FIGHT WHAT HAPPENED IN GEORGIA.
IT WAS REALLY BIG DEAL FOR THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FWHAUZ IS
THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN MOVED
IN AN ENFORCEMENT MANNER TO
DELIVER ON ITS PROMISE TO PUSH
BACK ON RESTRICTIVE VOTER LAWS.
WHAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DID
IN ITS LAWSUIT SAID GEORGIA HAD
THE INTENT OF DISCRIMINATING
AGAINST PLAQUEBLACK VOTERS.
UNDER THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DOESNT HAVE
TO PROVE GEORGIAS INTENT.
IT COULD ARGUE THE LAW IN ITS
TOTALITY HAS THE AFFECT OF
DISCRIMINATING WHICH WOULD BE
GOOD ENOUGH TO PUSH BACK.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS BEING
MORE AGGRESSIVE.
ITS GOING ONE STEP FURTHER AND
SAY LAWMAKERS HAD THE INTENT OF
DISENFRANCHISING BLACK VOTERS.
>> MY QUESTION ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT IS ROOTED THE IF
FACT YOUR OWN COLLEAGUE REPORTED
THE TEXAS LAW IS EVEN MORE I
GREEJOUS IN THAT CATEGORY.
DOES THE DEPARTMENT PLAN TO SUE
TEXAS NEXT?
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WAS ASKED ABOUT THE PRESS
CONFERENCE AND THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL SAID THEY WILL LOOK AT
THE FACT AND THE LAW AND HEN
THEY SAW THAT STATES HAVE
VIOLATED THE VOTER RIGHTS ACT,
THEY WILL ACT.
HES BASICALLY SIGNALING THAT
STATES SHOULD BE WEARY, SHOULD
BE MINDFUL THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IS WATCHING THEM AND
NOT AFRAID TO TAKE ACTION.
ALSO KEEP IN MIND THESE LAWSUITS
TAKE AN EXTRAORDINARILY LONG
TIME TO WIN THEIR WAY THROUGH
THE COURTS.
CERTAINLY NO MATTER WHAT THE
DECISION IS, IT WILL BE
APPEALED.
IN THE MEANTIME THERE WILL BE
ELECTION THAT IS ARE HELD UNDER
THESE RESTRICTIVE VOTING LAWS.
THIS IS ALSO A REAL TEST OF
WHETHER OR NOT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT ACTION
WILL BE TAKEN AS A SIGNAL TO
STATES TO HEM RESTRICTIVE VOTING
LAWS.
WE SAW GEORGIAS GOVERNOR BRIAN
KEMP CAME OUT AND SAY LISTEN TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS COMING FOR
YOU.
MORE AGGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO
PASSING THESE RESTRICTIVE VOTER
LAWS.
>> I WANT TO PICK UP ON KATIES
POINT.
THIS IS THE AUDACITY, BEING A
REPUBLICAN IN THIS AIRERA.
THIS IS KEMPS STATEMENT.
I AM GOING TO STOP RIGHT THERE.
HE TALKS ABOUT LIES AND
MISINFORMATION.
HIS STATES LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT THEIR
VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS.
THEY PERFECTED THE POLITICS OF
PROJECTION.
>> NOT ONLY THAT, REMEMBER THE
SECRETARY OF STATE AND HIS WHOLE
FAMILY IS BEING THREATENED AND
PEOPLE THREATENING BRIAN KEMP.
IF WE LOOK AT THIS IN A
POLITICAL WAY, THIS IS AMAZING
THINGS FOR BRIAN KEMP.
HE GETS TO RUN FOR ALL THE
TRUMPERS, SEE, BIDEN IS AFTER
ME.
I AM A HERO.
THIS SAVES HIM.
QUITE FRANKLY, I WAS PUTTING HIS
CHANCES AT 50/50 GETTING HIS
PARTY NOMINATION NEXT YEAR.
THEY ARE AFRAID OF BRIAN CONDEMN
VERSES STACEY ABRAMS.
IT IS ALSO GOOD STRATEGY ON TP
PART OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK THERE IS A REASON YOU
WOULD GO AFTER GEORGIA INSTEAD
OF TEXAS.
DEMOCRATS WON GEORGIA IN 2020.
RAPHAEL WARNOCK IS UP FOR
REELECTION IN 2022.
IF THERE IS A PLACE THEY WANT TO
MARSHAL THEIR RESOURCES OVER THE
NEXT 18 MONTHS, IT IS THE STATE
OF GEORGIA BECAUSE THEY DONT
WANT TO LOSE THAT SEAT.
I THINK IT IS A GREAT MOVE, SLOW
HAND CLAP FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE, I HOPE IT IS THE
BEGINNING.
I DONT THINK IT IS GOING TO IN
TIM
INTIMIDATE ANY STATES LAWS.
>> TEXAS HAS NOT PASSED ITS LAWS
YET.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT KEEPS THEM FROM FILING A SUIT THERE.
THEM FROM FILING A SUIT THERE.
DEMOCRATS WALKED OUT DEPRIVING
REPUBLICANS KORQUORUM. HERE IS A LIST OF WHERE MY TEAM
HERE IS A LIST OF WHERE MY TEAM
IS SUING.
A BARRAGE OF LAWSUITS ALLEGING
VOTER FRAUD WERE BROUGHT AND ALTHOUGH NEARLY OF ALL THE
ALTHOUGH NEARLY OF ALL THE
LAWSUITS WERE DROPPED,
DISMISSED.
IN PARTICULAR DURING THE
SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING, LAWYERS
PLAYED MISLEADING FOOTAGE OF
BLACK FULTON COUNTY ELECTION
WORKERS TABULATING BALLOTS.
ALTHOUGH THESE ALLEGATIONS HAVE
BEEN DEBUNKED BY THE SECRETARY
STATE OF OFFICE.
>> THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS
CLERKS TO EVERYONE SHOULD BE
OPAQUELY.
THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING BOGUS
CONTENTION.
THEYRE TRYING TO BRING SOME OF
THAT TO BARE IN THE LAWSUIT.
DO YOU THINK THATLL WORK,
JASON?
>> I HOPE IT DOES.
DEPENDING ON WHAT JUDGE YOU RUN
INTO.
WE SEE EXAMPLES OF RULING, HEY
LOOK YOU ARE GOING TO THROW OUT
THESE LAWS, WE HAVE SEEN JUDGES
RULE THAT LOOK, THERE IS NOTHING
WRONG WITH CREATING POLICY THAT
MAKES IT HARDER FOR YOUR
OPPONENT PARTY TO GET VOTERS OUT
AS LONG AS WE DONT THINK THATS
SPECIFIC ABOUT RACE.
THIS IS ABOUT DEMOCRATIC VOTERS
AND THEY CAN DO THAT.
I HOPE THAT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT CAN DRAW A STRAIGHT
LINE FROM THE BIG LIE TO THE
INSURRECTION TO ROETHLISBERGER
THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
LINDSEY
I HOPE THEY CAN SHOW THE