Some very bad news for the folks opposed to election integrity and certain groups and factions who work to undermine election integrity – Robert Popper has left the Justice Department and is now at Judicial Watch to work on election litigation. Judicial Watch Announces New Team Member Robert D. Popper Former Deputy Chief of Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today its newest team member, attorney Robert D. Popper. As Deputy Chief of the Voting Section of the Department of Justice (DOJ), he led complex litigations involving the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act, and he obtained favorable results in major lawsuits in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and California. Mr. Popper will help lead Judicial Watch’s Election Integrity Project. Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton issued the following statement on Popper’s hiring: “We are pleased and proud to welcome Robert Popper on board. Judicial Watch has made election integrity a centerpiece of its activities. As one of the nation’s top lawyers in the area of election law, Robert Popper shares its deep and sincere interest in making certain that every vote cast is legitimate. Bob will be helping lead our efforts to strengthen the integrity of our elections – which is under unprecedented assault by the Obama Justice Department and allied leftist groups.” Prior to joining the DOJ, Mr. Popper worked as a private attorney in New York City for 17 years. He served as trial counsel in federal and state trials, appeals, and arbitrations. His practice extended to a wide range of legal matters – including voting rights. Mr. Popper served as both trial and appellate counsel in a successful constitutional challenge alleging racial segregation in the design of New York’s congressional districts. As counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr. Popper obtained a favorable ruling from a three-judge federal panel in the Eastern District of New York, which was summarily affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Founded in 1994, Judicial Watch Inc. is a constitutionally conservative, nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law. ###
Judicial Watch has partnered with True the Vote, for example, around the country to oppose Justice Department overreach in places like Florida (see True the Vote’s intervention today against the Voting Section’s Texas Voter ID case). Judicial Watch is also involved in Section 8 litigation and will be involved in much more election litigation going forward into the future. Popper understands the issues, understands what, who and where the problems are, and has brought enormous talent to the effort to ensure integrity in American elections and the rule of law to government officials.
The press release from Judicial Watch:
Mr. Popper has garnered numerous professional awards, including the Justice Department’s prestigious Special Commendation Award for Outstanding Service.
Mr. Popper is a published author on the topic of voting rights law. He developed a legal standard relating to gerrymandering that is widely cited by experts and was adopted by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. He has spoken about voting rights to a conference of U.S. Attorneys at the National Advocacy Center, to a conference of state officials, and before countless local community representatives. He has testified before the Missouri Senate Redistricting Committee on gerrymandering. He has made radio and television appearances on behalf of the Heartland Institute.
Mr. Popper is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University Law School. He is admitted to practice in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.