The New Jersey State Democratic Committee has filed a lawsuit to bar the New Jersey Oath Keepers – which has been described as a militia extremist group – from monitoring polling places on Election Day, arguing it would amount to voter intimidation.

The complaint was filed late Thursday night in U.S. District Court against the Oath Keepers.

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, attended a meeting last month that was promoted by a leader in the group’s New Jersey chapter. The breakfast was hosted by a different group, Bergen County NJ for Liberty, and Garrett, now facing a fight for reelection in the 5th District which includes Bergen County, has said that he was unaware of the promoter’s ties to the Oath Keepers.

Oath Keepers’ national leadership has called on members to “form up incognito intelligence gathering and crime spotting teams” to look for and document suspected vote fraud or intimidation activities on Election Day. The state Democratic committee argues that their true intent is to intimidate minority voters.

“Inasmuch as voter fraud is essentially non-existent, Oath Keepers’ suggestion that voter intimidation is not the purpose of this surveillance rings hollow,” the complaint states.

The president of New Jersey Oath Keepers, Dennis LaGrua, declined to comment on the lawsuit, as the group had not yet retained or consulted with an attorney on the matter. He referred further comment to the group’s founder and national president, E. Stewart Rhodes.

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has listed the Oath Keepers among “militia extremists” who pose a moderate terrorism threat because members in other states have condoned violence against government officials. The department was not saying all Oath Keepers were domestic terrorists, a spokeswoman said.

LaGrua defended the group Friday.

“NJ Oath Keepers is a Constitution education outreach, public safety, civil rights and anti-terrorist group that is composed of current and former military members, police, reservists, sheriffs officers, firefighters, first responders and concerned citizens that have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” he said. The comments being made about the group are “scurrilous,” he said.

Fears of voter fraud, stoked by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, have been widely debunked. But they nonetheless have some on edge. The Bergen County Chapter of the NAACP began recruiting volunteers this week who will monitor polling sites on Election Day in response to news reports of voter suppression of blacks in other parts of the country.

The volunteers will be dispersed to areas that have higher populations of black residents, including Bergenfield, Englewood, Garfield, Hackensack, Lodi, Ridgewood and Teaneck. Volunteers are expected to wear clothing, hats or pins emblazoned with the NAACP logo.

Staff Writer Monsy Alvarado contributed to this report.

The complaint was filed late Thursday night in U.S. District Court against the Oath Keepers.

LaGrua defended the group Friday.