DOJ warns states, threatens criminal action over noncitizen voting

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• A new report argues the South is now the country’s true economic and political center.
• Atlanta City Council approves a six-month moratorium on new self-storage facilities.
• Gov. Brian Kemp heads to Scotland and Ireland.

DOJ warning

An FBI agent stands inside the entrance to the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Union City earlier this year. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

The Trump administration intensified its efforts to intervene in state elections even as a federal judge in Atlanta dealt a blow to the administration’s efforts to relitigate Georgia’s 2020 presidential race.

The U.S. Department of Justice warned election officials in Georgia, and every other state, they could face criminal prosecution if noncitizens cast ballots, something that is already illegal.

The letter from Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, also demands that state officials explain within five days how they are preventing illegal voting.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office pointed to his yearslong efforts to crack down on cases of noncitizen voting, which studies show is exceedingly rare.

His spokesperson, Robert Sinners, said Raffensperger conducted the first statewide citizenship audit of Georgia’s voter rolls, improved a federal election database and pressed Congress to enshrine citizen-only voting in the Constitution.

“Under his leadership, Georgia has set the standard for election integrity by ensuring only American citizens decide our elections and continuing to fight to prevent noncitizen voting,” Sinners added.

The warning came the same day a federal judge in Atlanta sharply questioned the Justice Department’s attempt to revive President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud in Georgia’s 2020 election.

U.S. District Judge Billy Ray II threw out a sweeping subpoena seeking information on thousands of Fulton County election workers and found that the five-year statute of limitations for crimes linked to the election had “long expired.”

Things to know

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., speaks during a voting rights rally in Montgomery, Ala., back in May. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:

• State officials have halted construction on Georgia’s first “pop-up” power plant, Drew Kann reports. The plant is supposed to serve a data center.
• U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is getting all of the attention this year. But it’s U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock who is positioning himself for a potential 2028 run for president, Greg Bluestein reports.
• Catch up with the latest polling in Georgia’s race for governor and U.S. Senate.

Southern pride

Howard Franklin is the founder and president of Ohio River South. (Courtesy)

America’s 250th birthday has Howard Franklin thinking regionally.

The Atlanta-based public relations executive released a new report arguing the South is now the country’s true economic and political center, noting that if the region were its own country it would have the third-largest economy in the world. Among his arguments:

• Southerners hold the speakership and majority leader offices in the U.S. House and make up a third of Trump’s Cabinet.
• Georgians run the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration, and act as ambassadors to the Bahamas, Belgium and China.
• The top five states for net domestic migration are all in the South.

Franklin said he was inspired to write the report after representing clients from New York and California that approached the South with outdated thinking.

“I think a lot of what people believe or maybe even think they know about the South is rooted in historic truths, but not necessarily modern truths,” Franklin told us. “Lots of things have changed about what powers the economy.”

Storage pause

Council member Dustin Hillis attends an Atlanta City Council meeting last year. (Jason Getz/AJC 2025)

Data centers aren’t the only thing getting banned.

The Atlanta City Council this week approved a six-month moratorium on new self-storage facilities. The measure, approved unanimously, noted these facilities “often span a considerable portion of neighborhood blocks” and “generate very few jobs for nearby residents.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s often the same arguments opponents use to oppose data centers. Council member Dustin Hillis said the temporary moratorium gives the city more time to consider “would this specific area benefit from a self-storage facility, or would things like affordable housing, a restaurant or a bank better serve the community.”

Off to Ireland

Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp wave to the audience at an event this past January. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Gov. Brian Kemp is heading to Scotland and Ireland this week on an economic development mission centered on one of Georgia’s biggest corporate deals: Hyundai‘s massive Metaplant.

Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp will meet with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and other company leaders during the Genesis Scottish Open, a chance to reinforce ties with the automaker.

The governor will also meet with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and executives from several companies with significant operations in Georgia.

Kemp’s itinerary also includes meetings with executives from companies including CRH, Kerry Group, Kingspan Group, Mallaghan and Smurfit Westrock, all of which have operations in Georgia.

Hegseth inquiry

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks at the White House last month. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is joining a group of Democratic senators investigating whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied promotions to military officers for political reasons.

The senators sent Hegseth a letter this week asking for information about his decisions, including the demographic breakdown of the officers removed from promotion consideration. The Wall Street Journal reported Hegseth denied promotions to eight Navy captains, including two female officers and two Black officers.

“While there are valid reasons to remove Officers from consideration for promotion for reasons that often involve sensitive or adverse information; public reports indicate your actions may be politically motivated, disregards the many achievements of these Officers, and shirks the idea of an apolitical military,” the group wrote.

Listen up

Democratic candidate for Congress Jasmine Clark speaks during a debate in April. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast, we discuss the separate races for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District. Everton Blair and Marcye Scott join the show to talk about their bids for a special election to finish the term of the late U.S. Rep. David Scott. And Jasmine Clark discusses her candidacy for a full two-year term.

You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.