Birmingham, AL — In a win for Alabama voters, Secretary Wes Allen has abandoned last year’s illegal voter purge program that threatened to deny qualified American citizens their freedom to vote. Strict laws are already in place to protect the freedom to vote, and our elections have numerous safeguards in place that are regularly analyzed and updated to make sure only eligible voters participate. 

In September 2024, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, League of Women Voters of Alabama, the Alabama Conference of the NAACP, and four affected voters sued over Alabama’s illegal voter purge program that threatened to remove eligible voters from the state’s voter rolls less than three months before the election. In a case that was consolidated with a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, the district court halted the program prior to the election, finding that it violated the National Voter Registration Act. The plaintiffs are represented by Campaign Legal Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Fair Elections Center.

The program designed by Secretary Allen would have had disastrous results for eligible American voters. During a hearing in the case, Secretary Allen’s office admitted that within weeks it was able to confirm the eligibility of thousands of voters on the rolls that Secretary Allen had targeted for removal under the program. The plaintiffs’ expert report found that the vast majority of those voters wrongfully targeted by the program were people of color.  

Likely because of these disastrous results, Secretary Allen has made no known attempts to restart the program he launched in August 2024, which relied on faulty agency data. If Secretary Allen attempts to launch a new program that violates the rights of Alabama voters, the plaintiffs stand ready to take action.

This week, the plaintiffs withdrew their legal case against Secretary of State Wes Allen, as this program has come to an end. 

“Every American should be able to make their voice heard, and no one should be afraid to vote because a state is arbitrarily challenging their registration status. We celebrate the end to this unlawful purge program that unjustly targeted voters of color and naturalized voters,” said Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at Campaign Legal Center. “Voters in Alabama can rest easy for now knowing their freedom to vote is intact but should the state attempt to illegally silence voters, they can count on seeing Campaign Legal Center and our partners again in court.”

“Alabama voters should feel confident that once registered, they can vote and their vote will be counted," said Kathy Jones, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama. "The League of Women Voters of Alabama will continue to monitor the state's compliance with the NVRA, and we will always fight for strong access to the ballot.”

"Alabama's purge program was implemented in response to harmful and xenophobic narratives, and it has no place in our multicultural democracy," said Caren Short, director of legal and research at the League of Women Voters of the United States. “The League is proud to have been part of the effort to shut down this program and ensure that no voter is denied access to the ballot unlawfully.”

“NAACP Alabama is pleased with Secretary of State Allen's decision to restore purged voters. However, the NAACP Alabama will remain vigilant for any other underhanded tactics that the Secretary of State tries to implement to deny citizens their right to vote.  We ask citizens to remain vigilant and  to check their voting status regularly and if there are changes that you did not authorize, to please contact the NAACP so that this can be investigated. We also ask our Congressperson from Alabama to join with Congresswoman Terri Sewell to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to help deter these types of unlawful purges,” said Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama NAACP.

"We stand unified in defending voting rights for all U.S. citizens, and we expect the Alabama Secretary of State to uphold its responsibilities in protecting those rights. The process of obtaining citizenship takes years and requires unwavering commitment to the U.S. principles of democracy and justice, and, in return, our government agencies must honor that commitment and protect the rights of naturalized citizens to fully participate in our multiracial democracy," said Allison Hamilton, Executive Director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

“This challenge stopped a wildly inaccurate, last-minute purge program that threatened Alabama citizens’ freedom to vote,” said Michelle Kanter Cohen, policy and senior counsel at Fair Elections Center. “This victory underscores the importance of the National Voter Registration Act in protecting voters’ rights and opportunity to have a say in their government.”

“Alabama's voter purge disparately impacted hundreds of voters of color and naturalized citizens who were eligible to vote,” Sabrina Khan, senior supervising attorney, voting rights, Southern Poverty Law Center. “Ending the purge program ensures they can participate in elections without the state challenging their registration status. Today, the fundamental right to vote for every Alabamian was protected, making sure that all voices are heard. While there is still much work to be done to secure voting rights in Alabama, this is an important step forward.”

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

Learn more about CLC. Don't miss out on our latest resources: Subscribe to President Trevor Potter's newsletter on LinkedIn or email, tune in to the latest season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, and join our livestreamed events.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed an ethics complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, urging an investigation into whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s business transactions with Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, violate conflict-of-interest laws.  

“The American people deserve an unimpeded investigation to determine whether Elon Musk has violated conflict of interest laws by prioritizing his own personal financial interests over the public good,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director for ethics at Campaign Legal Center.” Based on his public statements, it appears that Musk has corrupted decision making at the FAA involving the agency's use of his satellite internet business. Corruption happens when government officials abuse their powerful positions for personal gain — Elon Musk owes it to the American public to remove himself from overseeing decisions connected to his personal profits.”

Federal law prohibits executive branch officials from participating in matters that may benefit their personal financial interests. These laws apply to Elon Musk, a tech mogul who contributed nearly $300 million to President Trump’s reelection campaign and has since been designated as a “special government employee” working to oversee the so-called U.S. DOGE Service (DOGE).  

However, Musk appears to be using his position at DOGE to gain more wealth in ways that violate conflict of interest laws. He has not attempted to separate himself from his businesses that have received billions in government contracts. Several recent public statements by Musk also appear to have been a catalyst for the FAA to further integrate his Starlink satellite business into the agency’s operations for air traffic control — potentially at the expense of the FAA’s preexisting contracts with other companies.  

The public has a right to know that executive branch officials are acting on the public’s behalf, and not for the personal benefit of an unelected megadonor to the president. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s acting inspector general must investigate whether the FAA’s consideration of Starlink technology was illegally corrupted by Musk. Holding government officials to high ethical standards is essential for ensuring that the American people, and not wealthy special interests, come first in governance.

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Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan legal organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Founded in 2002, CLC fights for every American’s freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process.

Learn more about CLC. Don't miss out on our latest resources: Subscribe to President Trevor Potter's newsletter on LinkedIn or email, tune in to the latest season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, and join our livestreamed events.

Washington, DC —  Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) — on behalf of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) — sued Elon Musk and his so-called U.S. DOGE Service (DOGE) for acting beyond their power to slash federal funding, dismantle federal agencies and fire federal employees.

Decisions regarding how the federal government spends its money lie with Congress. Elon Musk’s unchecked power throughout the federal government is a lawless threat to our democracy.

Neither Elon Musk nor DOGE have the lawful authority to exercise the sweeping power that they currently wield in the federal government. However, since President Trump created DOGE and placed Elon Musk at its helm, Musk has exercised significant unconstitutional authority and taken control over our agencies and our funding systems. This illegal and reckless control over the federal government has upended the lives of countless individuals, both within the United States and abroad.

“Our system of checks and balances does not permit the president or an unelected megadonor to unilaterally control the federal budget. Americans must be protected from destructive, illegal and unconstitutional DOGE actions,” said Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center. “Elon Musk, the president’s biggest political donor, is recklessly interfering with the work of the federal government, threatening our safety and our well-being. For the sake of our clients and preserving democracy, we call for an immediate end to this unconstitutional power grab.”

“JACL joins this lawsuit to stop DOGE from making reckless cuts that will directly impact national historic sites under the National Park Service that are among those where over 125,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated during WWII. These sites honor those who were incarcerated and serve as a legacy to our children so that future generations of Americans will understand the unfortunate and preventable capacity for our government to act maliciously against a group of people such as ours,” stated JACL Executive Director, David Inoue. “We invest in our future through our children, and elimination and endangerment of education programs will directly impact many of our own members. Japanese Americans are especially fond of a saying in Japanese, ‘Kodomo no tame ni’ which means ‘For the sake of the children.’ This is why we join this action today."

“The reckless budget cuts at the Department of Education are a direct assault on Pell Grant recipients, student organizations, and AANAPISI institutions that are vital to advancing educational equity,” said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Education is the gateway to opportunity — the heart of the American Dream — and these cuts threaten to block that path for countless students. Instead of opening doors for students, DOGE’s action at the ED are slamming them shut, and putting the future of countless young people at risk.”

“American families are already feeling the effects of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s careless and illegal cuts to our federal workforce. Firefighters and forest management staff have been dismissed as families remain on edge from the threats wildfires pose. Families wanting to enjoy our national parks, forests and monuments are being welcomed with closed signs, long lines, and unmaintained trails — before the parks’ busiest season has yet to begin. Without the workers to staff and support our public lands, communities will face more dangerous and deadly fires, park visitors will face unsafe conditions, and local economies that rely on national parks will struggle. Only Trump and Musk would try to threaten America’s best idea. We are taking DOGE to court to defend Americans’ ability to safely and freely access the landscapes that unite us," said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club.

“When the rule of law is compromised and science is sidelined by an unelected billionaire donor, people get hurt. DOGE’s actions have interfered with life-saving research and scientific collaboration on cancer, vaccines, extreme weather and more,” said Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “They have pulled funding for job-boosting clean technology initiatives and fired civil servants who enforce laws that protect us from air, water and climate pollution. They have compromised websites and other communications channels, obstructing access to data that the U.S. public has paid for and depends on.”

Americans did not elect Elon Musk, and an unelected megadonor should not be able to pick and choose which critical agencies can continue to serve the public or which policy priorities Congress should fund. The courts must move to hold Musk and DOGE accountable. Elon Musk’s activities as DOGE’s head are illegal and a threat to the constitutionally mandated separation of powers.

Keep up with Campaign Legal Center’s latest legal actions on DOGE here.

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Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan legal organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Founded in 2002, CLC fights for every American’s freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process.

Learn more about CLC. Don't miss out on our latest resources: Subscribe to President Trevor Potter's newsletter on LinkedIn or email, tune in to the latest season of our award-winning podcast, Democracy Decoded, and join our livestreamed events.