{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-to-garland-doj-singles-out-conservative-sweepstakes", "Cotton to Garland: DOJ Singles Out Conservative Sweepstakes", "2024-10-24", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "AR", "Tom Cotton", "C001095", "www.cotton.senate.gov", "cotton", "https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353\n\nOctober 24, 2024\n\nCotton to Garland: DOJ Singles Out Conservative Sweepstakes\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice to retract their intimidating letter to Elon Musk\u2019s America PAC. The letter describes a pattern of the Biden-Harris Department of Justice singling out conservative groups while turning a blind eye to left-wing groups engaged in similar behaviors.\n\nIn part, Senator Cotton wrote:\n\n\u201cLeft-wing organizations often promote voter-registration sweepstakes. For example, HeadCount Inc. offers potential voters a chance to \u2018win a VIP experience at RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u2019 for checking their voter-registration status or beginning the voter-registration process. Michelle Obama\u2019s voter-registration group offered individuals who provided their registration information a chance to win a free trip to Las Vegas. These left-wing groups are just as surely trying to register potential voters with their sweepstakes as is America PAC.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter may be found here and below.\n\nOctober 24, 2024\n\nThe Honorable Merrick Garland\n\nU.S. Department of Justice\n\n950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW\n\nWashington, DC 20530-0001\n\nDear Attorney General Garland,\n\nI write regarding reports that the Department of Justice has warned Elon Musk\u2019s America PAC that its sweepstakes may violate federal law. I\u2019m not convinced that America PAC has run afoul of the law, but I\u2019m very concerned that the Biden-Harris administration has once again singled out center-right Americans like Mr. Musk for political retribution while turning a blind eye to liberal-leaning groups engaged in similar behavior.\n\nLeft-wing organizations often promote voter-registration sweepstakes. For example, HeadCount Inc. offers potential voters a chance to \u201cwin a VIP experience at RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race\u201d for checking their voter-registration status or beginning the voter-registration process. Michelle Obama\u2019s voter-registration group offered individuals who provided their registration information a chance to win a free trip to Las Vegas. These left-wing groups are just as surely trying to register potential voters with their sweepstakes as is America PAC.\n\nBut where are the threats of legal consequences for liberals? Have you sent Michelle Obama an intimidating letter? I think the question answers itself, of course, and demonstrates yet again how you have weaponized the Department of Justice against not only President Trump, but also his supporters.\n\nI urge you to retract the department\u2019s letter as the ill-considered handiwork of partisan killjoys. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.\n\nSincerely,\n\nTom Cotton\n\nUnited States Senator\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-to-garland-doj-singles-out-conservative-sweepstakes"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8357069455087185, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}