The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 13, 2025

Dominion Voting Systems, used by an estimated 40% of American voters and the subject of debunked right wing conspiracy theories, has been acquired by a Missouri marketer of electronic poll books.  It will now be known as Liberty Vote.

President Donald Trump and his election lawyers made false allegations that Dominion’s optical ballot readers had been compromised and threw the election to Joe Biden.  Another theory suggested the company was foreign-owned and tied to Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez.  The debunked claims, designed to undermine the results of the 2020 election, were widely reported by Fox News, Newsmax and other conservative media. 

Dominion filed multiple defamation suits, the largest of which with Fox News was settled in 2023 for a stunning $787 million dollars.  Newsmax settled for $67 million August 18th, and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani for an undisclosed amount on September 26th.  Several other suits are pending.

Dominion’s new owner, formerly known as KNOWiNK, was founded by a former St. Louis and Missouri state elections official, Scott Leiendecker.  KNOWiNK provides electronic poll books to assist election officials with voter check-in and verification.  With the acquisition, KNOWiNK has changed its name to Liberty Vote, and says it is QUOTE “… committed to transparency, independent audits, and verifiable paper records.” 

Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (April 2022)  Judge Rules Fox News Lied About Dominion Voting Systems Being Linked to Fraud; Sends Case to Jury Trial
American Democracy Minute – (Aug. 2025)  As Trump Proposes Baseless Ban of Voting Machines, Newsmax Settles Defamation Suit with Dominion Voting Systems
NPR – Dominion, the voting tech company at the center of false 2020 claims, is sold 
St. Louis Public Radio – Former St. Louis Elections Director’s Electronic Poll Book Streamlines Voting Process
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – The EAC Announces First Federally Certified Electronic Poll Book During Election Technology Hearing
Liberty Vote –  Website Announcement

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #DominionVotingSystems #ConspiracyTheories #LibertyVote #DonaldTrump #BigLie

The post Dominion Voting Systems, Object of Debunked Right Wing Conspiracies, Sold to Missouri Election Technology Company and Renamed appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 2, 2025

As President Donald Trump seeks retribution against the prosecutors and law enforcement who investigated him, some of his 2020 allies are on the hook in civil court.  Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic prevailed last week over Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell for their defamatory statements against the voting technology companies.

Dominion sued Giuliani, former mayor of New York and Trump campaign lawyer, for $1.3 billion dollars, claiming that he made false statements about Dominion’s electronic ballot tabulators being rigged to tilt the election to Joe Biden.   Dominion has previously won a $787 million dollar settlement from Fox News, and $67 million from Newsmax for similar claims.   

September 26th, Dominion announced a settlement with Giuliani, though the amount is unknown.   In the past two years, Giuliani has been disbarred, filed for bankruptcy, and was indicted for trying to overturn the 2020 election.  

Also on September 26th, a federal judge found MyPillow CEO and election denier Mike Lindell defamed voting systems company Smartmatic. The yet-to-be -decided damages may hinge on whether Lindell KNEW his claims the machines were manipulated were false.   Lindell still faces a suit from Dominion.  

President Trump announced last month Giuliani would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The Guardian reports that Lindell has moved back to Minnesota and is considering a run for governor.  

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – As Trump Proposes Baseless Ban of Voting Machines, Newsmax Settles Defamation Suit with Dominion Voting Systems 
Federal District Court –  (2021) Complaint in Dominion Voting Systems v. Guiliani (Warning – It’s 2,900 pages long!)
Colorado Sun / AP – Rudy Giuliani, Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems settle defamation suit over his 2020 election claims
The Guardian – Rudy Giuliani and Dominion settle $1.3bn defamation suit over election lies
The Guardian – MyPillow founder defamed Smartmatic election tech company, judge rules
Minnesota Public Radio – Judge rules ‘MyPillow Guy’ Mike Lindell defamed Smartmatic with false claims on voting machines
Smartmatic – Lawsuit Updates
Federal District Court – (2021) Complaint in Dominion Voting Systems v. Lindell

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to 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 #RudyGiuliani #MikeLindell #MyPillowGuy #BigLie #2020Election #DonaldTrump #StoptheSteal

The post More Accountability for Trump ‘Big Lie’ Allies as Voting Tech Companies Prevail Over Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Sept. 19, 2025

Earlier this summer the Trump Justice Department requested states turn over massive amounts of voter registration, balloting, and election administration records.  Two states which refused the request, Maine and Oregon, are now being sued by DOJ.

The Brennan Center for Justice counts 34 states which received data requests from either the Trump DOJ Civil Rights Division, formerly a watchdog for voting rights, or from DOJ’s criminal division.  New Hampshire cited state statutes prohibiting the release of such information, but Indiana confirmed it recently sent DOJ personal information including driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. 

Maine received its first request in mid July, which it declined August 8th, citing a lack of justification.  Maine received a second DOJ request September 8th, according to the Maine Morning Star.   

DOJ’s statement announcing the suits said, QUOTE, “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process, and the refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.” UNQUOTE    ‘Vote dilution’ refers to alleged widespread voting by noncitizens, an already debunked conspiracy theory from the 2020 and 2024 elections.  The Trump administration confirmed last week it was sharing the voter data with the Department of Homeland Security. 

Secretaries of State Shana Bellows in Maine and Tobias Reed of Oregon have vowed to fight the request in court.   

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – (June) U.S. DOJ Demands State of Colorado Turn Over Massive Number of 2024 Election Records. It Could be an Attempt to Prove Conspiracy Theories.
American Democracy Minute – (July) The U.S. Department of Justice is Requesting All Voter Records for 12 States, Likely a Violation of Privacy and Free Speech Rights
Maine Morning Star – (July) Trump administration requested voter data. Secretary Bellows says, ‘Go jump in the Gulf of Maine’
Maine Morning Star – Secretary Bellows rejects Trump administration’s second request for more Maine voter data
U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department Sues Oregon and Maine for Failure to Provide Voter Registration Rolls
Oregon Capital Chronicle – Trump Justice Department sues Oregon, Maine for not turning over voter data
Brennan Center for Justice – Tracker of Justice Department Requests for Voter Information

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

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

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

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

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #TrumpJusticeDept #NoncitizenVoting #ConspiracyTheories #BigLie #Maine #Oregon #DOJ

The post Justice Department Sues Maine & Oregon for Withholding State Voter Registration and Voting Data from Trump Administration appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 19, 2025

Utah adopted universal mail-in voting in 2013, with no widespread misuse in its 12 years.  March 6th, the GOP-dominated Utah legislature approved an amended bill to end it in 2029, despite 76% of state voters supporting it. 

HB 300 was even more draconian just weeks ago, requiring voters to return  their ballot in person so ID could be shown.  Such a move would have ended the convenience voters like about mail-in voting, and created a burden for rural and Native American voters, who might live hours from a polling place.

The Utah News Dispatch reports the amended bill phases out universal mail-in voting in 2029, rather than immediately.  But in the interim, voters must obtain state-issued voting ID by 2026, and provide four digits from that ID, with signature matching as a backup.  The voting ID would be free only to those proving they can’t afford it.  

In 2029, voters can opt-in to a semi-permanent 8-year vote-by-mail list, and election officials would rely only on the voting ID number for identification.   Voters could opt in at the DMV, polling places, or the state’s voter portal.  The bill also extends the ballot return deadline to 8 pm on election day.

Replacing universal mail-in voting is expected to cost taxpayers $6 million dollars annually.  Gov. Spencer Cox is likely to sign it. 

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Utah News Dispatch – (2024) Deep red Utah wants to keep voting by mail
Utah News Dispatch – Utah Legislature approves bill to require voter ID, phase out automatic voting by mail by 2029
Salt Lake Tribune – Universal vote by mail is popular in Utah. GOP lawmakers continue to move away from it in a revised bill.
Associated Press – Deep-red Utah embraced voting by mail. Then came 2020.
Deseret News – (2024) New poll: Three-quarters of Utah voters confident in vote by mail system
Utah House of Representatives – Fiscal Note – HB 300 

Groups Taking Action:

Rural Utah Project, League of Women Votes UT

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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Utah #VotebyMail  #HB300

The post Utah Legislature Passes 2029 End to Its Popular Universal Mail-In Voting System, Replacing it With an Opt-In List & More ID appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 15, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Cleta Mitchell, a 2020 Trump election lawyer who later pushed so-called ‘election integrity’ laws in states around the U.S., is calling for all U.S. Department of Justice voting rights and civil rights lawyers to be fired. 

Mitchell served in Trump’s team of lawyers trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 election.  Since then, her Election Integrity Network group helped state legislatures make it harder to vote by mail and to register and vote on election day.  She also called for states to leave the ERIC, the interstate Electronic Registration Information Center, because of a conspiracy theory that it was run by George Soros.  And most recently, she championed Trump’s debunked claims of widespread voting by undocumented immigrants.

November 13th, the same day Rep. Matt Gaetz was nominated for U.S. Attorney General by President-elect Trump, Mitchell wrote in a social media post, QUOTE, “Every lawyer in the Voting Section and likely in the Civil Rights Division needs to be terminated.   They are not supportive of Pres Trump or MAGA.  There has to be a reckoning.  These are leftwing activists who have come from and should return to their leftwing organizations. UNQUOTE

It’s unclear whether Mitchell’s influence is enough to dismantle the DOJ’s Voting Rights and Civil Rights units, but it’s indicative of the voting rights challenges ahead.

We have more on Mitchell and her so-called ‘election integrity’ projects at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Cleta Mitchell on X – “Every lawyer in the Voting Section and likely in the Civil Rights Division needs to be terminated.”

Mitchell’s Only Citizens Vote Coalition – No country can survive that allows guests and illegals
Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network – Election Integrity Network website
The New Republic – The Shadowy Right-Wing Group That’s Suppressing the 2024 Vote
The Guardian – She was a firebrand Democrat. Now, Cleta Mitchell is a rising star of Republican election denialism
The Hill – (2023) The 39 people the Georgia special grand jury recommended charges against
Free Speech for People – Letter to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Regarding Cleta Mitchell

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

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

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

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

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #USDOJ #CletaMitchell #BigLie

The post Trump ‘Election Integrity’ Lawyer Cleta Mitchell Calls for the Firing of All DOJ Voting & Civil Rights Lawyers appeared first on American Democracy Minute.