Assistant Attorney General Defends Voter Investigation

During an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon defended the Trump administration’s efforts to investigate noncitizen voters leading up to the midterm elections. In a discussion with Lesley Stahl, Dhillon addressed concerns about potential distrust in the election system.

“There are people who feel that the point is to sow distrust about the whole election system. There are very few people who are noncitizens who end up voting — very, very few. And so, therefore, what’s the purpose?” Lesley Stahl asked.

Dhillon responded, stating that the aim is to address existing distrust and that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is prosecuting these crimes more actively than before. She highlighted that even the Biden administration has prosecuted cases of noncitizen voting.

Stahl commented on the small numbers involved, but Dhillon emphasized ongoing investigations, mentioning thousands of cases under review despite the short time in office.

Dhillon’s stance reflects a commitment to a “broken windows” approach, focusing on prosecuting all provable cases of illegal voting. This strategy marks a departure from previous administrations, with the DOJ now closely scrutinizing voter rolls.

Dhillon assured that there are no plans for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to monitor polling places during elections. She dismissed concerns about President Trump potentially challenging the midterm results as unfounded.

Regarding whether a noncitizen’s vote could lead to larger challenges, Dhillon clarified that it would typically challenge the individual’s vote, not the entire election.

A DOJ spokesperson stressed that illegal voting undermines lawful votes, citing a close race in Iowa as an example of how narrow margins can be. They assured the DOJ’s commitment to prosecuting election fraud to protect election integrity.

Following her “60 Minutes” appearance, Dhillon posted on social media, criticizing the editing of her interview. CBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.