Justice Dept. sues California, claims noncitizens were sent ballots

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe Justice Department has sued California over its voter rolls, and Lola Cruz is outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles tonight.

2. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorLola, what's the claim?

3. 

   Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentHank, I'm standing outside the federal courthouse, and behind me a man with a rolling cart of binders has been circling the steps for twenty minutes.

4. 

   Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentHank, the suit claims the federal government found over twenty thousand noncitizens on California's voter rolls who shouldn't be there, and alleges some received ballots.

5. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorTwenty thousand. That's the allegation, not a finding.

6. 

   Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentRight, and so far it's all allegations without any court ruling.

7. 

   Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentCalifornia hasn't been quiet about it either, and the two sides are describing the same list in very different ways.

8. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSame list, two stories.

9. 

   Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentRight now, the practical question is who checks twenty thousand names, and by when. I covered ceasefires with fewer moving parts than this, Hank.

10. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorAnd somewhere in that hallway is a clerk with a highlighter and no weekend plans. Which list are they reading, Lola?

11. 

    Lola Cruz · Senior Field CorrespondentI asked, and the man with the binders told me it's a spreadsheet, and that's all he's allowed to say about the spreadsheet.

12. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorRex has the sports next, and trust me, his numbers make a lot more sense than these voter roll spreadsheets.