'Shame on you': Sherrill knew voter-roll bombshell was coming when she called Trump a liar, DOJ official says

The Justice Department's top Civil Rights official accused New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill of criticizing President Donald Trump's election integrity claims even though she already knew her administration was about to disclose a major voter registration problem.

In his July 16 address, Trump accused China of acquiring sensitive voter data and said U.S. intelligence agencies hid that revelation from the public while also alleging several Democrat-run states, including New Jersey, have large numbers of noncitizens registered to vote.

Department of Homeland Security data released in concert with the speech found more than 35,000 potential noncitizens are on the Garden States rolls.

"When the president came out with his Primetime speech last Thursday, I believe in the sequencing of events that has been laid out, she already knew that this revelation was forthcoming," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said.

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"She knew it, and she still went online and called the president a liar and said he was exaggerating -- Shame on you, governor."

Dhillon said governors willing to cooperate with the DOJ would receive assistance but warned states refusing to do so could face lawsuits.

"It's a bipartisan problem, actually. And I'm really looking forward to helping everyone who will work with us fix this problem. And if they won't work with, we'll sue them and we'll still fix the problem."

Following Trumps address, Sherrill signed on to a statement with 23 other Democratic governors attempting to throw cold water on the president's wide-ranging claims, calling him a liar, as Dhillon said.

"It's deeply alarming that President Trump continues to try to undermine free and fair elections. No amount of lies and conspiracy theories can change the fact that our country's elections have repeatedly been proven to be safe and secure," read the rebuke, formally led by Kentucky Gov. Andrew Beshear.

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Sherrills co-signed statement went on to accuse Trump of trying to "intimidate and silence voters" while claiming Democrats are the ones "actually making life better for American families by lowering costs, creating jobs and protecting our freedoms."

"Ours is a winning message, which is why he is trying to undermine democracy."

Dhillon said Sherrill and all other governors should join with DOJ to investigate every substantive claim of election integrity violations, warning it is their own citizens who stand to be hurt.

"Every single person who voted illegally canceled out t