As President Donald Trump continues to contest the results of the 2020 election, the Justice Department has come out to rebut the notion that this process was not legitimate.
According to a statement from the Justice Department on Wednesday, claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 elections — which some of Trump’s allies have sought to use to overturn the results of the race — do not provide a legal defense against potential criminal charges.
“We must reject any notion that any of these claims could provide a basis for a criminal prosecution of anyone,” the statement said.
The Justice Department has been at the forefront of legal challenges to the election since it began on Election Day in November. Though some challenges have been dismissed, and others have been rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, the department has yet to conclude that any voter-related fraud took place.
Trump and his legal team have argued that the elections were “rigged” and “stolen” from the president, though they have yet to provide any evidence to back up these assertions. Trump’s lawyers have also made allegations that voting machines in several states were unreliable and software systems were hacked.
Still, the DOJ has maintained that the law requires that any proof of election fraud must be presented before any criminal prosecution based on such claims is initiated. The DOJ statement argued that the lack of evidence is “particularly concerning” as it prevents the American public from knowing that the government is enforcing the law “without fear or favor.”
Ultimately, the statement concluded that any claims of widespread voter fraud do not provide a legal defense against criminal charges. The DOJ emphasized that “America’s democracy depends on citizens following the law and rooting out election fraud.” Without evidence, criminal actions cannot be pursued.