Democracy Dies in Darkness

No Labels asks Justice Department to investigate its opponents’ efforts

The bipartisan group argues that a public and private pressure campaign goes beyond legally protected political speech

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Updated January 18, 2024 at 12:48 p.m. EST|Published January 18, 2024 at 10:10 a.m. EST
Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) was co-headliner alongside former Utah governor Jon Huntsman (R) at a town hall sponsored by the bipartisan group No Labels, held on July 17, 2023, at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. (John Tully/For The Washington Post)
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The leaders of No Labels, a group preparing a potential independent presidential ticket, have asked the Justice Department to investigate potential criminal charges against a range of Democratic-leaning groups and activists who have been opposing their effort.

The group, in a Jan. 11 letter signed by former senator Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), former North Carolina governor Pat McCrory (R) and others, argues that a public and private pressure campaign to discourage donations to No Labels and support for the ticket goes beyond legally protected political speech.