The US Justice Department has been accused of aggressively involving itself in the final weeks of the midterm elections, allegedly departing from its established practice of political neutrality. Critics point to several actions, including federal agents raiding the home of Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democratic congresswoman seeking re-election.
The department has also publicised criminal charges and arrests of non-citizens accused of voter fraud. Additionally, the Attorney General has campaigned for Republican candidates. The department recently gave California election officials 48 hours to investigate the citizenship of 20,000 people and subsequently sued the state when it did not comply.
Stacey Young, a former justice department attorney, stated that the department previously aimed to avoid investigative steps that could influence an election. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said that an unwritten department practice established a blackout window of at least 60 days before an election for prosecutors to refrain from activities that could influence the election. A justice department official, however, stated there is no rule or policy preventing the department from taking action close to an election and that the 60-day rule was an informal practice.