The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 9, 2025

A three-judge panel dismissed a case June 6th by a group of Black Arkansas voters that the state legislature racially gerrymandered Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District. It’s the state’s fourth redistricting challenge since 2021.  

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in 2023’s Alexander vs. South Carolina NAACP directed that when hearing racial gerrymandering cases, federal courts should, QUOTE “start with the presumption that the legislature acted in good faith.” The Arkansas legislature’s voting district maps have been challenged four times since 2021.

In 2023, the 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s radical ruling in a state House map gerrymandering case that Arkansas voters did not have a right to sue under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It ruled only the DOJ could bring a VRA challenge, and the opinion spawned copycat GOP suits which failed in other jurisdictions.   

The latest Arkansas challenge used provisions in the 14th and 15th amendments to argue the legislature unconstitutionally split Black communities in the 2nd Congressional District and dilute their voting power.  But a three-judge 8th Circuit appeals court panel found plaintiff Christian Ministerial Alliance had not proven racial gerrymandering, a higher bar than partisan gerrymandering, an outcome of the South Carolina case.   
There’s an awful lot of smoke from the Arkansas legislature’s gerrymandered voting districts, but no racial gerrymandering fire, at least according to the courts.  We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (2024) U.S. Supreme Court Finds South Carolina Gerrymandering Case ‘Bleaching’ Congressional District Not Racially Motivated
American Redistricting Project – Arkansas Redistricting Process   American Democracy Minute – (2024)  Federal Appeals Court Denies Rehearing of Radical Arkansas Voting Rights Act Ruling Shutting Out Voters & Democracy Groups from Bringing CasesAmerican Redistricting Project – Christian Ministerial Alliance v. Thurston
Arkansas Advocate – Federal panel rules in favor of state in Arkansas congressional redistricting lawsuit
U.S. District Court – Order in Christian Ministerial Alliance v. John Thurston 

Groups Taking Action:

Christian Ministerial Alliance , Legal Defense Fund

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RacialGerrymandering #Arkansas #CongressionalDistrict2 #14thAmendment

The post Arkansas Congressional District Racial Gerrymandering Case Dismissed by Federal Court Panel appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 6, 2025

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed two election bills May 2nd, one of which includes provisions for poll workers to challenge the citizenship of voters in the polling place, a ban on ranked choice voting, and a higher bar for third parties. 

Among several new provisions, House File 954 authorizes state election officials to access to federal agency databases and gives local election officials authority to challenge citizenship of a registered voter at the polls.  A recent presidential executive order now allows personal information sharing from federal agencies to state election officials. 

If a voter is not able to provide documentation at the polls, they would be forced to use a provisional ballot.   Only days before the 2024 election, the Secretary of State’s office challenged the eligibility of over 2,100 registered voters.  Most were naturalized citizens or data errors, while 277 were registered noncitizens. Of those, only 35 voted, out of over 1.7 million cast.  Pro-voter groups argue such mass challenges intimidates legitimate naturalized citizens from voting. 

Two provisions in 954 attempt to protect major party power.  It bans ranked choice voting for any election in Iowa, and raises the bar for third parties to field candidates.  Third parties now need to garner 2% of the vote in three consecutive elections to qualify for the ballot. 

We have more on HF 954 at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Iowa Secretary of State – Iowa Secretary of State’s audit of voter registration lists finds 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to voteIowa Capital Dispatch – Iowa secretary of state says 277 noncitizens confirmed to be on Iowa’s voter rolls
Des Moines Register – After flagging 2,000+ ballots, Iowa secretary of state says 35 noncitizens voted in 2024Iowa Legislature – House File 954

The Gazette – Iowa poll workers can question voters about their citizenship under new law
Iowa Capital Dispatch – Gov. Kim Reynolds signs bills on election recounts, voter citizenship verification
Brennan Center for Justice – Citizenship & Voting

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU Iowa, LULAC

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NoncitizenVoting #Iowa #VoterSuppression #VoterChallenges 

The post Iowa Gov. Signs Bill Banning Ranked Choice Voting, and Allowing Poll Workers to Challenge Citizenship Status of Voters  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 5, 2025

We’ve been revisiting election denial hotspots this week, five years after the 2020 election. Monday, June 9th, a civil trial begins against My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, accused of defaming former Dominion Voting Systems election security expert, Dr. Eric Coomer. 

Coomer, former director of product strategy and security for Dominion, found himself accused in a conspiracy theory claiming Coomer admitted rigging the election, and his life was threatened.  Broadcasters, podcasters, Lindell and others allegedly repeated the claim, resulting in Coomer bringing five suits, two in Denver district court, and three in federal district court.  Dominion itself settled with Fox News for $787.5 million dollars. 

Two defendants, far right broadcasters OAN and NewsMax, settled their cases with Coomer.  Others tried to use Colorado’s statute giving courts the power to dismiss meritless defamation cases where defendants prove they were exercising free speech.  So far, the courts have found for Coomer, and his cases were allowed to go forward.  

Lindell told The Bulwark that he would be taking the stand in his defense.  The witness list also reportedly includes former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk, Tina Peters, convicted of giving unauthorized access to the county’s Dominion Voting Systems electronic ballot tabulators to investigators tied to Lindell.   

Lindell told a DC federal court in April he could not afford judgement in the case he lost to voting systems company Smartmatic.  

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources: 

Colorado Public Radio – (2020)  Election Conspiracy Theorists Focused On One Man In Colorado. His Life Will Never Be The Same
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Judge Rules Fox News Lied About Dominion Voting Systems Being Linked to Fraud; Sends Case to Jury Trial
Colorado Public Radio – (2023) Former Dominion Voting employee waits for his day(s) in court on multiple suits
Colorado Public Radio – (2024) Former Dominion employee defamation suit against Trump campaign can continue, court says
Courthouse News Service – (2025) Colorado appeals court greenlights Dominion Voting defamation claims against conservative radio host
The Bulwark – Mike Lindell Is Texting Me From His Defamation Trial
Colorado Politics – My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell defamation trial starts in Denver

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #MyPillow #MikeLindell #ElectionDeniers #DominionVotingSystems

The post Civil Trial Against My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell Starts June 9 for Allegedly Defaming Former Dominion Voting Systems Exec appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 4, 2025

President Donald Trump recently announced pardons to a range of individuals, including convicted drug dealers, fraudsters, and . . .  corrupt public officials.  ABC New reports 1 in 5 have political or financial ties to the president.

Scott Jenkins, a former Culpeper County, Virginia sheriff had been sentenced to 10 years for taking $75,000 in bribes in exchange for issuing deputy sheriff badges.  Jenkins has been a long-time Trump supporter.

Ardent Trump acolyte  Michele Fiore had not yet been sentenced when she received her pardon on April 23rd.  A former member of the Nevada Assembly and Las Vegas City Council, she was convicted of six counts of wire fraud for skimming money from a memorial for a slain Las Vegas police officer.  She used the money for rent, plastic surgery and her daughter’s wedding.  

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, was pardoned in February, after endorsing Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns.  Blagojevich appeared on Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice in 2010, but was convicted in 2011 of attempting to sell President Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat, among other corruption charges. 

Former Kentucky state senator and 2016 Congressional candidate Brian Kelsey served only 2 weeks of a 21 month sentence on federal campaign finance violations and defrauding the Federal Election Commission before he was pardoned in March.  

We have a full list of Trump’s pardons at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney – Clemency Grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-Present)
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington – Trump has granted clemency to 16 corrupt politicians—so far
ABC News – Trump’s flurry of pardons include some to campaign contributors
CBS News – Trump says he’s pardoning Scott Jenkins, a sheriff convicted of taking $75,000 in bribes
Nevada Independent – OPINION: Trump’s audacious Fiore pardon gets buried by what came next
American Democracy Minute – What Corruption? Trump Pardons Former KY State Senator for Campaign Finance Fraud, and May Be Preparing to Dismantle DOJ Public Integrity Section
PBS NewsHour – A look at Trump’s controversial pardons for political allies and loyalists

Groups Taking Action:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Public Citizen

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PoliticalCorruption #TrumpPardons #Bribery #Fraud

The post Looking for a Presidential Pardon?  Loyalty and Endorsements are Apparently More Important Than Political Corruption appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 3, 2025

We recently reported on county supervisors in Shasta County, CA still clinging to debunked 2020 election fraud claims by President Trump and his allies.  May 29th, a Colorado man was sentenced to three years in prison for threats he made to top Colorado and Arizona election officials, fueled by those same claims.  

Teak Ty Brockbank of Cortez, Colorado pleaded guilty in Federal District Court last fall for threatening to QUOTE “hang by the neck” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and former Arizona Secretary of State and now Governor, Katie Hobbs.  He also threatened a judge presiding in a separate DUI case, and threatened to shoot federal agents if they stepped on his property.

Brockbank asked for leniency during the sentencing, blaming consumption of alcohol and online conspiracy theories for his actions, according to the Associated Press.

The Brennan Center for Justice found in a 2024 survey that 38% of election officials have been subjected to threats.  A Princeton University Bridging Divides tracker found 90 threats to election workers last year alone.  

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice division which prosecuted Brockbank, the Public Integrity Division, has been largely dismantled under Trump’s “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government” executive order.   The division has been reduced from 30 lawyers to only 5, under Attorney General Pam Bondi.  

We have DOJ’s details of the case at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

U.S. Department of Justice – (2024) Cortez Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats Against Election Official
Colorado Public Radio – Colorado man who threatened election officials asked for leniency in sentencing, got 3 years 
Brennan Center for Justice – Poll of Election Officials Finds Concerns About Safety, Political Interference
Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative – Threat and Harassment Incidents Targeting Local Officials Surge During 2024 Election
Federal Register – Executive Order:  Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government
NBC News – Justice Department office that prosecutes public corruption slashed in size, sources say  

Groups Taking Action:

Protect Democracy, Issue One, Center for American Progress

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ProtectElections #ProtectPollWorkers 

The post CO Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Threats Against Top CO and AZ Election Officials, Judge and Law Enforcement appeared first on American Democracy Minute.