FBI probes Arizona voter registration groups
Federal prosecutors opened an inquiry into three nonprofits accused of registering noncitizens before Tuesday's midterms.
By Leila Mansour ·
Federal authorities have begun investigating three Arizona organizations over claims they registered noncitizens to vote. The probe aims to determine if the groups violated state and federal election laws ahead of the midterm vote scheduled for Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced the investigation on Friday. His office referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a full review. The three groups under scrutiny are Stand Indivisible Arizona, Worker Power, and When We Count.
Courchaine’s office sent letters to the Maricopa County recorder and the Arizona secretary of state. The letters asked those officials to examine the voter registration practices of the three nonprofits. The correspondence noted that written and video reports suggested the groups either ignored or were unaware of Arizona’s ban on registering noncitizens.
The attorney’s release stated that only registered citizens may vote in the upcoming election. It added that knowingly registering noncitizens constitutes a violation of federal law.
Stand Indivisible Arizona describes itself as a non-partisan, volunteer-driven group based in Scottsdale. Worker Power calls itself a multi-racial social welfare organization focused on democracy and working families. When We Count is a Democratic group focused on healthcare, jobs, and corruption.
The investigation will proceed while the election is set for next week. The three organizations have been identified by name in the official announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
