LET Exclusive: DOJ seeks 'volunteers' from its ranks to ensure 'election integrity' on November 5

WASHINGTON, DC - Law Enforcement Today has received exclusive information from a confidential source (who has asked to remain anonymous), citing a U.S. Department of Justice memorandum seeking “Volunteers for Election Monitoring During the November 5, 2024 General Election.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco sent the memo. The contents of the memorandum follow, and the source of the memo, written on official DoJ letterhead, has been promised confidentiality. 

Monaco wrote that “ensuring compliance with federal voting rights laws is one of the Department of Justice’s most important missions, which “requires robust monitoring of the election process on the ground.” 

Monaco, who has been floated as an attorney general candidate under a potential Harris administration, sent the memo to all DoJ employees, heads of litigating components, and all United States attorneys. 

“Specifically, because the Civil Rights Division will likely not have sufficient personnel to cover the need on its own, I am asking attorneys and professional staff from other Divisions and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the Department to volunteer for election monitoring under the supervision of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division,” Monaco wrote. She said that “volunteers would travel to jurisdictions across the country (or in their district) to monitor polling places on Election Day.” 

Monaco wrote that volunteers would first be drawn from the DoJ's Civil Rights Division and then from other litigating Divisions and Offices as needed. Monaco noted that decisions to deploy election monitors will be “based on needs in the field and the availability of appropriate funding.” 

Monaco noted that the DoJ “will not be sending criminal prosecutors or criminal investigators to the polls.” This may be a means to ensure no conflict of interest concerns are raised by potential “violators” of DoJ “civil rights violations.” 

Volunteers will be trained via virtual training sessions in October, and they must attend at least one of those sessions. Volunteer poll monitors will also “need to be available for an hour or two during the week before the election for an election briefing about their assigned location.” 

The letter does not specify where the “assigned location[s]” are. 

It should be noted that Monaco is overseeing all January 6-related cases. 

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is overseen by Kristen Clarke, who will oversee the election monitoring efforts. 

In May, evidence was found showing Clarke lied during her Senate confirmation hearing when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) asked her in writing if she had “ever been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime against any person..” Clarke answered, “No,” which was a lie. 

According to National Review, in July 2006, Clarke was arrested after she attacked her then-husband with a knife, “deeply slicing his finger to the bone,” as reported by the Daily Signal. Although the record was deleted under Maryland law, Clarke was still arrested for committing a violent crime.