By Jan Wolfe
Oct 25 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Sunday appeared skeptical of a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s administration that seeks to force California officials to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots allegedly sent to non-citizens ahead of the midterm elections.
During a rare weekend oral argument, two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questioned a Justice Department lawyer about the lawsuit, a high-profile effort by Trump’s administration to boost the federal government’s role in elections ahead of the midterms.
The Republican Party is locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress.
(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Noeleen Walder)
