Senator Ben Ray Luján joins Democratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to sustain the DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force, which is essential for protecting election officials amid rising threats. The Administration has curtailed vital election security initiatives, causing worry over the safety of election workers, with statistics showing many have faced threats or left their positions for fear of safety.
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, along with Senators Alex Padilla and Dick Durbin, joined over two dozen Democratic Senators in a letter urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to maintain the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force. This Task Force is critical for protecting election officials from increasing threats and violence amid a backdrop of diminished federal efforts to combat election security risks.
The Senators’ concerns are driven by significant rollbacks from the Trump Administration, which disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and weakened efforts against foreign election interference by firing key personnel at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Moreover, the Administration has halted ongoing election security initiatives and defunded programs designed to train local officials in threat management.
In their letter, the Senators emphasized the alarming statistics that reveal one in three election officials have faced threats, harassment, or abuse. Additionally, nearly half of local officials report knowing someone who left their position due to safety concerns. This raises critical challenges for maintaining institutional knowledge essential for administering elections smoothly. The Senators stressed the necessity for the Task Force to continue its work to protect election workers and ensure electoral integrity in this challenging climate.
Senator Luján and his colleagues are calling attention to the urgent need for the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force to persist amid rising threats to election officials. The concerns stem from the Trump Administration’s weakening of federal election security mechanisms and alarming reports of harassment faced by election workers. Upholding the Task Force is vital to safeguard democratic processes and support election officials’ safety.
Original Source: ladailypost.com
