Miles Parks

Hey there, it's the NPR Politics Podcast.

I'm Miles Parks.

I cover voting.

We want to bring you some reporting now from our friends at the podcast Consider This, who looked recently at how President Trump is weaponizing the Justice Department.

Here's Elsa Chang in a conversation that aired in their feed on Friday.

You're welcome.

That was reporting from our friends at the podcast Consider This.

We'll be back in your feed tomorrow.

I'm Miles Parks.

I cover voting.

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics Podcast.

In lawsuits targeting election data in close to two dozen states, all states President Trump lost in 2020, the Justice Department argued it needs the data to make sure states are following federal election laws.

But the federal government has never had access to it before.

And federal privacy laws are strict on how such data can be gathered.

In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge David O. Carter wrote that the government's request is, quote, unprecedented and illegal.

And in a related case this week, a judge in Oregon also indicated he was tentatively planning to dismiss a DOJ suit there.

Trump and his allies say the country's voter lists need more scrutiny specifically to root out non-citizen voting, which has never actually been proven to be a widespread problem.

Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington.

Hi, this is Brian in Madison, Wisconsin.

I'm sitting in the hospital room with my 44-hour-old son while his mom gets some well-earned rest in between overnight feedings.