DOJ Asks States to Hold Ballots from 405 Suspected Noncitizens

The Department of Justice has pursued charges against two former FBI officials for statements made to Congress about the Hunter Biden laptop inquiry while separately directing state officials in Washington to review ballots from hundreds of individuals suspected of lacking U.S. citizenship. These steps reflect a pattern of federal scrutiny applied to both internal agency conduct and election administration processes.

Last week the DOJ filed felony charges against former FBI managers Nichole Floris and Bradley Benavides. The allegations center on their responses during 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee regarding knowledge of and involvement in the Bureau's handling of the laptop. Such prosecutions of senior FBI personnel remain uncommon, typically reserved for cases involving espionage or large-scale financial violations. The filings indicate that the charges stem from specific claims about the timing and scope of the investigation rather than broader operational disputes.

At the same time, the Justice Department contacted Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to request segregation of ballots from more than 400 registered voters identified through federal records as non-citizens. The correspondence noted that these individuals had cast a combined 1,500 votes in earlier elections, with at least one record dating to 1994. Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd in Seattle described the current list as likely incomplete due to state-imposed limits on data access. Washington conducts all elections by mail, sending ballots to every registered voter without routine citizenship verification at the point of issuance.

These developments occur against the backdrop of prior federal requests in California to examine similar voter roll concerns. The Washington request asks state officials to confirm eligibility before counting any ballots from the flagged individuals in the upcoming midterms. Federal records shared with the state include historical voting data that extends across multiple election cycles.

Observers note that enforcement actions of this type test the balance between federal oversight of immigration-related voting rules and state control over election mechanics. Non-citizen voting violates federal statutes, yet detection often depends on cross-agency data sharing that states can restrict. The FBI charges, meanwhile, underscore internal accountability mechanisms within law enforcement agencies when congressional oversight uncovers discrepancies in prior testimony.

Data from past cases shows that documented instances of non-citizen registration frequently surface through federal audits rather than routine state checks. In parallel, prosecutions of federal agents for false statements to Congress have historically hinged on precise documentation of what was known at the time of testimony. Both lines of inquiry rely on records that become available only after extended review periods.

The combined effect places pressure on state election offices to reconcile federal findings with local procedures. Washington officials have not yet indicated how they will respond to the segregation request. The FBI case proceeds through standard federal court channels, where defense arguments will address the scope of statements made during the 2023 hearings.

These efforts illustrate the practical challenges of applying uniform standards across disparate areas of federal responsibility. Voter eligibility verification and internal agency oversight each depend on accurate record-keeping and intergovernmental cooperation. Outcomes will hinge on the strength of the underlying evidence rather than institutional preferences.