Page 10 - AHATA

A2 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 1 april 2025
Justice Department instructed to dismiss legal challenge to

Georgia election law

By KATE BRUMBACK cant Black population. The
Associated Press law also banned the distri-
ATLANTA (AP) — U.S. At- bution of food and water
torney General Pam Bondi by various groups and or-
on Monday instructed the ganizations to voters stand-
Justice Department to dis- ing in line to cast a ballot.
miss a lawsuit challenging In announcing the dismissal
a sweeping election over- of the lawsuit, Bondi said
haul that Georgia Repub- Black voter turnout in Geor-
lican lawmakers passed in gia “actually increased”
the wake of President Don- after the law was passed. A
ald Trump’s 2020 election December analysis by the
loss in the state. Brennan Center for Justice
The lawsuit, filed in June found that while the num-
2021 under former President ber of ballots cast by Black
Joe Biden, alleged that the voters increased from 2020
Georgia law was intended to 2024, Black turnout actu-
to deny Black voters equal ally declined by 0.6% be-
access to the ballot. Bondi cause the increase in the
said the Biden administra- number of ballots cast by
tion was pushing “false Black voters did not keep
claims of suppression.” up with population increas-
“Georgians deserve secure es.
elections, not fabricated “Understanding whether,
claims of false voter sup- Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Justice Department, Feb. 12, or to what extent, these
2025, in Washington.
pression meant to divide Associated Press declines are due to restric-
us,” she said. tive voting policies such as
The law was part of a trend sioner deciding to move “Our commitment has al- top states in the country Georgia’s S.B. 202, justifi-
of Republican-backed that year’s All-Star Game ways been to ensure fair for early voting and experi- able feelings that the gov-
measures that tightened from Atlanta’s Truist Park. and secure elections for enced record voter turnout ernment is not working for
rules around voting, passed Kemp and Secretary of every Georgian, despite in multiple elections since them, or myriad other fac-
in the months after Trump State Brad Raffensperger, losing an All-Star game the passage of the Elec- tors will be of signal impor-
lost his reelection bid to both Republicans who and the left’s boycott of tions Integrity Act.” tance,” the analysis says.
Biden, claiming without evi- drew Trump’s ire when they Georgia as a result of com- Known as SB 202, the law In addition to the Justice
dence that voter fraud cost refused to help overturn his monsense election law,” added a voter ID require- Department lawsuit, about
him victory. The fallout was 2020 election loss in Geor- Raffensperger said in a ment for mail ballots, short- a half-dozen other suits
swift after Republican Gov. gia, strongly denounced statement. ened the time period for were filed by civil rights and
Brian Kemp signed the law the Justice Department Kemp also welcomed Bon- requesting a mailed ballot election integrity groups
in March 2021, with the lawsuit when it was filed. di’s announcement. He and resulted in fewer bal- raising claims based on the
CEOs of Atlanta-based Del- Raffensperger on Monday accused Democrats and lot drop boxes available U.S. Constitution and the
ta Air Lines and Coca-Cola called Bondi’s announce- others of spreading “lies in populous metro Atlanta federal Voting Rights Act,
voicing criticism and Major ment “a significant win for and misinformation” and counties that lean Demo- which prohibits discrimina-
League Baseball’s commis- Georgia voters.” said, “Georgia is one of the cratic and have a signifi- tion in voting.q

A DOGE employee is put in charge of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a

court filing alleges

By GARY FIELDS WASHINGTON (AP) — An Musk’s Department of nating hundreds of leases including colleagues who
Associated Press official allied with Elon Government Efficiency at DOGE’s behest. are abroad, who were giv-
has been put in charge of The court filing asks U.S. en until April 9 to return to
the U.S. Institute of Peace, District Judge Beryl Howell the U.S., and the regional
a congressionally created in Washington to stop the vice presidents, who direct
and funded think tank tar- action or schedule a status the areas where they are
geted by President Donald conference to address the based.
Trump for closure, accord- issues as soon as “practi- Two former employees,
ing to a federal court filing cable.” Howell ordered the who spoke to The Associ-
Monday. parties in the case to ap- ated Press on the condition
Two board members of the pear before her Tuesday of anonymity for fear of
Institute of Peace have au- for a status hearing. retribution, said they were
thorized replacing its tem- The White House didn’t im- reached by private emails
porary president with Nate mediately respond to a re- because they have been
Cavanaugh, the filing says. quest for comment. locked out of the institute’s
They ordered him, it says, to The action follows a Friday system and were not able to
transfer the institute’s prop- night mass firing of nearly return to work since a tense
erty to the General Services all of the institute’s 300 em- standoff earlier this month
The United State Institute of Peace building is seen, Monday, Administration, the federal ployees. Former employees in which DOGE members
March 17, 2025, in Washington. government’s real estate say only a small number were accompanied by law
Associated Press manager, which is termi- did not get notification, enforcement.q