Democracy Docket: “The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is escalating its effort to pressure states to hand over sensitive voter data, including by threatening legal action, according to letters from a top department official obtained by Democracy Docket.  It’s the latest step in the Trump administration’s ongoing quest to obtain state voting information to bolster its hunt for illegal voting. Over the past few months, DOJ has sent letters to dozens of states — with plans to eventually contact all 50 states — demanding access to voter registration lists and proof of compliance with federal voting laws. The unusual inquiries raised serious concerns among state election officials and voting rights experts, who questioned the legality of the effort.  But in letters sent last week to election officials in California and Illinois, the department went further. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon threatened California with legal action if it did not provide DOJ with full access to its voter registration list (VRL) within seven days.  Dhillon made a similar demand of Illinois. Though her letter didn’t threaten a lawsuit, it noted that DOJ is empowered by federal law to  “bring enforcement actions” to ensure that states are maintaining accurate rolls. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Democracy Docket that other states received similar letters from Dhillon in the past week.  After DOJ asked California for its statewide voter roll, Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) responded by citing state law that prohibits making the state’s VRL available for public inspection. Weber also cited privacy concerns, and wrote that “the NVRA has never been interpreted to require total and unqualified access to all information contained in a voter registration record.” But Weber did offer to make California’s full voter registration list available for DOJ to inspect in person at her office in Sacramento.  Dhillon responded August 13, reiterating the demand for the voter list and threatening legal action…”