Judge Appointed by Trump Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Against Utah Official
The ruling comes days before the midterm elections, adding to a string of recent legal setbacks for the Department of Justice.
A federal judge appointed by former President Donald Trump has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson. The lawsuit, concerning state voter data, was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell issued the ruling. The Department of Justice had sued Henderson over a voter data research project she was involved in as a state senator. The project aimed to analyze voter data from the 2020 election. According to reports, the DOJ argued that the state's handling of voter data violated federal law, specifically provisions of the National Voter Registration Act.
This dismissal represents another legal setback for the Department of Justice in its efforts to enforce federal election laws. The timing of the ruling, just days before the midterm elections, has drawn attention as such legal challenges often become a focal point in discussions surrounding election integrity and federal overreach.