'Rigged' claim prompts Democrats to sue GOP

NEW YORK -- The Democratic National Committee asked a federal judge to block the Republican Party from supporting efforts to discourage members of minority groups from voting based on GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's claims that the election is "rigged."


RELATED ARTICLES

http://www.arkansas…">Trump takes side trip; rival doesn't let up http://www.arkansas…">Cash flowing into races

In a pre-emptive strike against what it called a coordinated effort to intimidate voters, the Democratic Party's governing body alleged Wednesday that the Republican National Committee is violating a court order in a case that started 35 years ago.

The Republican National Committee is supporting Trump's recruitment of so-called watchers at polling places, which is in breach of consent decrees going back to 1982 that forbid the group from engaging in ballot-security measures, according to a filing in federal court in Newark, N.J. The Democrats said the watchers are really intended to deter registered voters from casting ballots.

"The filing is completely meritless," said Lindsay Walters, a spokesman for the Republican committee. "Just as in all prior elections in which the consent decree was in effect, the RNC strictly abides by the consent decree and does not take part directly or indirectly in any efforts to prevent or remedy vote fraud. Nor do we coordinate with the Trump campaign or any other campaign or party organization in any efforts they may make in this area."

[INTERACTIVE: 2016 election coverage]

The dispute follows years of court battles over legislation, primarily in Republican-led states, to require voters to present photo identification and curtailing practices such as early voting that tend to increase the turnout of poor and minority-group voters who tend to favor Democrats.

Trump has received direct and tacit support of the Republican National Committee in his endeavors to prevent alleged rigging and voter fraud, the Democrats alleged in the filing, citing statements by Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

"Trump has falsely and repeatedly told his supporters that the November 8 election will be 'rigged' based upon fabricated claims of voter fraud in 'certain areas,'" according to the filing. "Unsurprisingly, those 'certain areas' are exclusively communities in which large minority voting populations reside."

The original consent decree arose from the Republican National Committee's efforts in the early 1980s to interrogate and intimidate registered voters in predominantly black precincts in New Jersey, according to the filing.

The case is Democratic National Committee v. Republican National Committee.

A Section on 10/27/2016

Upcoming Events