Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is accusing a weaponized Department of Justice under President Joe Biden of exploiting its power to interfere in the lawful actions by the state to maintain election integrity.
The Biden DOJ has sued Virginia in the final weeks before the November election for having executed a duly instituted — and vetted — election integrity law that has been in place for nearly two decades related to the responsible management of voter rolls in the key state that has become a potential presidential election battleground.
"To be clear, this is not a purge: This is based on a law that was signed into effect in 2006 by then-Democrat Gov. Tim Kaine," Youngkin told "Fox News Sunday." "And it starts with a basic premise that when someone walks into one of our DMVs and self-identifies as a noncitizen, and then they end up on the voter rolls, either purposely or by accident, that we go through a process, individualized — not system, not systematic — an individualized process based on that person's self-identification as a noncitizen to give them 14 days to affirm they are a citizen.
"And if they don't, they come off the voter rolls."
Even after executing the 18-year-old law, an alleged illegal voter still has access to casting a ballot, Youngkin noted, laying aside the Democrats' narrative that voter roll management equates in any way to voter suppression.
"And by the way, they have one last safeguard, which is they can come and same day register and cast a provisional ballot," Youngkin added.
Virginia's code 24.2-439 requires government registrars to cancel noncitizens' voter registrations deemed to have been sought under false pretenses, and Virginia code 24.2-1019 requires registrars to immediately notify their county or city prosecutor.
The election integrity measures are not only put in place under a Democrat then-Gov. Kaine, but they have been vetted by the DOJ in the past, and executed dutifully by Virginia.
"Back in 2006, the then-Justice Department actually approved of this law and said that it is not only further constitutional, but we have given it thorough review, and we're OK with you moving ahead with it," Youngkin added in Sunday's interview.
"Now, 25 days last week before the election, a Justice Department decides they are going to bring suit after this law has been in effect for 18 years, administered by Democrat and Republican governors."
The timing of the lawsuit reeks of political weaponization of justice — if not interference — that seems to run rampant in this November's pivotal election, Youngkin concluded.
"And this is the reason why I believe that Americans and Virginians wonder what the Justice Department is up to: It's been in effect for 18 years," he said. "It's been applied universally by Republican and Democrat governors."
"And now all of a sudden, when Virginia is getting tight," he continued, "it launches a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia when we are trying to make sure that citizens vote, not noncitizens."