Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a civil rights investigation into the recent raids by the Texas attorney general’s office that targeted Latino voting rights organizers, candidates for office, and volunteers. The raids, conducted on August 20, 2024, were ordered by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and seized the personal property of local organizers and candidates for office. In a letter sent on September 12, AG Campbell and the coalition urge DOJ to specifically open an investigation into whether these raids constitute violations of civil rights, including the right to vote.
“These raids were an outrageous weaponization of law enforcement against the Latino community. All voters and candidates, regardless of their backgrounds, should be protected from the intimidation tactics used by Texas Attorney General Paxton. Now more than ever, it is critical to protect voting rights and our voting systems, and to instill confidence in our processes. That is why I am calling on the DOJ to investigate what I believe is a clear civil rights violation,” said AG Campbell.
In the letter, the coalition argues that there has never been evidence of widespread voter fraud anywhere in the United States, and by conducting these raids to search the homes of Latino candidates and voting rights activists, the Texas attorney general’s office is perpetuating a racist, baseless claim in order to intimidate voters of color.
Massachusetts voters who believe their rights have been violated through threats, intimidation, or coercion should contact the AGO’s Civil Rights Division at (617) 963-2917, or submit an online complaint.
Joining AG Campbell in sending this letter to DOJ are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
Original source can be found here.